BERN - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Thursday that an important step was for Turkish-Armenian relations after Turkish President Abdullah Gul`s recent visit to Yerevan, the Armenian capital.
"I would not describe our president`s visit to Armenia as a `U-turn` but it surely is an important step to move things further in our relations," Babacan told reporters at a press meeting in Bern, Switzerland, where he met his Swiss counterpart.
Babacan said he saw "a proper environment" for the solution of "frozen conflicts" in the Caucasus.
"Now the stones have been moved and everyone should re-consider the regional policies," Babacan said.
On bilateral relations, Babacan said Turkey and Switzerland would consider cooperation opportunities in energy sector, adding that the two countries would be in closer contact in the fight against terrorism.
Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calm-Rey said on her part that Swiss President Pascal Couchepin and Swiss economy minister would visit Turkey in November.
"This visit was an important one for us to better understand each other. And we decided to hold regular meetings (on the fight against terrorism) so that our relations would not be hurt as they were in the past," Calmy-Rey said.
(YMB-BRC)
(DIP)