According to diplomatic sources, talks to discuss normalisation measures between Turkey and Armenia should take place in one of the two countries rather than in a third nation.
According to reports, Turkey proposed that the negotiations take place in Yerevan or Ankara after the first session was held in Moscow at Armenia's request.
Following a one-and-a-half-hour meeting last week, the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries issued a joint statement praising the discussions and pledging to "continue dialogue without preconditions."
On December 15, 2021, Serdar Kılıç, a former ambassador to the United States, was designated Turkish special envoy to negotiate steps toward normalisation with Armenia. Armenia's special representative, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan, was appointed three days later.
Earlier, Ankara has called for a six-nation platform made up of Turkey, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia to ensure long-term peace, stability, and collaboration in the Caucasus, claiming that it would be a win-win effort for all regional parties.
For three decades, Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic or trade connections, and the negotiations are the first attempt to re-establish ties since a 2009 peace agreement. That agreement was never approved, and relations between the two countries have remained strained.
Turkey and Armenia have no direct commercial channels now that their borders have been blocked. According to official Turkish data, indirect commerce has increased somewhat since 2013, but was just $3.8 million (TL 51.2 million) in 2021.
Moreover, Pegasus Airlines, a Turkish budget airline, will begin charter flights between Istanbul and Yerevan in early February, as part of political attempts to improve relations between the two countries.
