InternationalPresident Sargsyan goes to Turkey for Armenia-Turkey soccer match
Published: Friday October 16, 2009
President Abdullah Gül welcomes his Armenian counterpart Serge Sargsyan to Turkey. Melik Baghdasaryan / Photolure
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Yerevan - Armenia's President Serge Sargsyan traveled to Bursa, Turkey, on October 14 at the invitation of Turkey's President Abdullah Gül to watch the World Cup qualifying return soccer match between their two national teams, just four days after their foreign ministers in Zurich signed protocols on the normalization of relations.
The return visit came 13 months after Mr. Gül's trip to Armenia, on Mr. Sargsyan's invitation, for the first soccer match. Mr. Sargsyan had undertaken to go to Turkey only if the border had been opened or was about to open. Accompanying Mr. Sargsyan on his visit to Turkey were Deputy Foreign Ministers Arman Kirakossian and Shavarsh Kocharian; other officials, several well-known businesspeople from Armenia, and dozens of journalists.
President Sargsyan and his delegation were met at the airport in Bursa, a former Ottoman imperial capital, by Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the governor of Bursa, and other Turkish officials.
From the airport, the Armenian president went to the Holiday Inn Hotel to meet with the members of Armenia's national soccer team and wish them luck before their game against the Turkish team later on that evening. He was then taken, along with his delegation, to the Almira Hotel, where he was greeted by Mr. Gül.
The two presidents had a private meeting and were later joined by their delegations and staff.
Mr. Sargsyan stressed that the Republic of Armenia is adamant about moving forward with Armenia-Turkey relations without any preconditions.
"We are not writing history. We are making history," Mr. Gül said, according to Reuters. "Remember two years ago and just think how far we have come since then.... What is important is to bring peace and stability to the whole region."
Following the meetings, a dinner and reception was held in honor of President Sargsyan at the Almira Hotel, after which the two presidents and their delegations went to Bursa's Ataturk Stadium to watch the soccer match. Turkey's national soccer team beat Armenia 2-0. Both national soccer teams have already been knocked out of the World Cup qualifying competition.
The Armenian delegation departed Bursa as soon as the game ended.
No official statements have been issued by either side after their meeting in Bursa.
