Armenia-Turkey, Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations Important Parts of a Big Package: Ali Babacan

Normalization of Armenia-Turkey and Armenia-Azerbaijan relations are two important parts of a big package, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan said at a conference jointly organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) and the Center for European Policy Studies, calling on OSCE co-chairing countries to back the process of normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijani relations.

Referring to the adoption of genocide resolutions by different countries, Babacan said that a commission of historians must be created to study the Genocide issue.

“In that issue our objective is to create a commission of historians and scientists to study the Genocide issue in accordance with the Protocols signed between Armenia and Turkey. But any interference in that issue complicates the [normalization] process,” said Babacan.

Among participants delivering their speech at the conference was Swedish Foreign Minister Karl Bildt’s wife Anna Maria Bildt, who also referred to the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement, saying that Yerevan and Ankara should solve their problems themselves.

“I am sorry for the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the riksdag. That is not our problem. We support the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement and want the issue to be discussed between the sides,” said Anna Maria Bildt.