BY HASAN CEMAL
MILLIYET- Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian started a working lunch we had yesterday by saying that we had witnessed a historic day via 'football diplomacy.' He described the meeting of President Abdullah Gul and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian on Saturday and the national match they watched together as a milestone and a very good beginning.
Nalbandian said that a mentality change had taken place among the peoples of both countries, which he said was raising expectations, adding that from now on positive developments will seen as there is a willingness and determination towards this end. He said that on Saturday he and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan had met for two-and-a-half-hours as directed by their respective presidents and would meet later this month as well (at the UN in New York). Nalbandian added that this showed the determination and seriousness about developing bilateral relations.
Stating that the new process of dialogue opened by their presidents would be continued by the foreign ministers, Nalbandian said that he believed he and Babacan would talk about concrete proposals soon. Radikal daily's Cengiz Candar asked whether 'demons' might derail this dialogue, if it goes on for some time without any tangible fruit. Along these lines, I asked Sarkisian what his most concrete and immediate expectations were. Without hesitation, he said opening the border and establishing diplomatic relations.
When I related this to Nalbandian, he said that the Turkish side also expects the same, as opening the borders and establishing diplomatic relations are obviously in our interest as well. He added that on Saturday the presidents had finished the journey halfway and that the rest of it would be completed by the foreign ministers. Nalbandian also assured us that he was talking about concrete steps with Babacan and that the faster they move forward, the better it would be.
Nalbandian also took issue with analysts who say that Russia doesn't want a rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia , saying that Moscow also favors improved relations. He added that Turkish-Armenian relations should improve for the sake of stability and security in the region. Nalbandian said the two foreign ministers had sketched out an implied 'road map,' but gave no details. He said certain issues wouldn't be shared with the public until they have something concrete to show. He added that previous barriers had been eliminated and that the road was now wide open.
Stating that the entire world had focused its attention in South Ossetia in the wake of the conflict there, Nalbandian then brought up the issue of Upper Karabakh between his country and Azerbaijan , saying that both the region and the world at large want the issue to be solved not through the use of force, but through peaceful means. He added that his country also favors this and that a military solution would solve nothing but only make the situation worse. Nalbandian said that intensive meetings with Azerbaijan on the Karabakh issue were underway and that he thought they were very close to a solution.
On the second national match between Turkey and Armenia set to take place in Istanbul about a year from now, in October 2009, Nalbandian said Sarkisian would go to Istanbul to see the match and that this visit would be a historic one, just like the visit paid by Gul. He added that it wouldn't be right to subject establishing diplomatic relations or opening borders between the two countries to preconditions. Asked if the 'genocide' issue would be raised later, as it wasn't during the meeting on Saturday, Nalbandian said that there shouldn't be any taboo issues and that they should be able to discuss any issue or problem in an open, friendly and free way.
As for other issues discussed yesterday by Nalbanian with journalists from national dailies like Milliyet, Yeni Safak, Star and Sabah, Nalbandian said that they support Turkey's European Union membership, predicted that trade would soar if the borders were opened, and added that he wholly supports our premier's proposal for a Caucasus stability and peace platform.