10 October 2009, 23:52
Documents on normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations signed in Zurich
Today, at the Zurich University, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Turkey Edward Nalbandyan and Ahmet Davutoglu put their signatures under the documents on normalization of relations between these two countries - the "Protocol on Development of Mutual Relations" and "Protocol on Establishing Diplomatic Relations".
According to the first document, the parties have agreed to open their mutual border within two months after enactment of the document, hold consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, use the infrastructure existing between the two countries, develop the legal-treaty sphere, set up cooperation in consular relations, and in trade, economic cooperation and tourism.
The "Protocol on Establishing Diplomatic Relations" provides establishment of diplomatic relations from the date of signing and exchange of diplomatic missions.
The "Interfax" Agency reports that the Protocols will come into force on the first day of the month following the exchange of ratification tools.
The signing ceremony was attended by Micheline Calmy-Ray, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, the mediating country in the settlement process; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov; US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Supreme Commissioner on Foreign Policy and Security of the European Union Javier Solana, and Bernard Koushner, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, as reported by the ITAR-TASS Agency.
