Armenian premier says no barriers in contacts with Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there are no obstacles to communication with Türkiye, emphasizing that the two sides are in constant contact.

"We have no communication barriers with Türkiye, and we are in constant dialogue," Pashinyan said Tuesday in a discussion at the Atlantic Council during a working visit to the US.

Pashinyan noted that the two countries' foreign ministers meet and talk on a regular basis.

"Actually, we are working very actively, and there is a kind of common understanding of what should be done," he said.

However, he acknowledged that some nuances in bilateral relations remain, necessitating final steps to achieve tangible results.

“We hope that the result will come very soon ... We'll continue our dialogue, and we'll continue that dialogue. I guess Armenia and Türkiye have never been involved in such active dialogue as now,” he added.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Armenia’s independence on Sept. 21, 1991. But in 1993, Türkiye closed its border and cut ties after Armenia's occupation of the Azerbaijani region of Karabakh.

Following the 2020 Karabakh war, which saw Azerbaijan regain territory, Turkish-Armenian relations entered a new phase, and in December 2021, both countries appointed special representatives to hold talks for the normalization process.