Civilnet
By Alexander Pracht
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone on Thursday, discussing bilateral ties and regional developments, according to a statement from the Armenian government.
Pashinyan congratulated Erdoğan on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Kurban Bayram, while the Turkish president extended congratulations to the Armenian leader on Yerevan being selected to host the European Political Community (EPC) summit next spring.
Also read: Yerevan to host European Political Community summit in 2026
The leaders agreed to continue dialogue between their countries, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations. Their call comes a month after a brief in-person exchange during the EPC summit in Albania. Their last full meeting took place in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Pashinyan and Erdoğan first spoke by phone in July 2022, shortly after Armenian and Turkish special envoys announced a plan to open the long-closed shared land border for third-country nationals and diplomatic passport holders. However, that step has yet to be implemented. The two also held a phone call last June, reaffirming their commitment to normalizing relations.
Speaking in parliament earlier today, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that while Armenia and Turkey do not have formal diplomatic ties, “today’s dialogue is more active and effective than that between some countries which do.” He acknowledged, however, that expectations are growing for tangible results on the ground.
“Of course, anyone would be right to say it’s time for that dialogue to yield visible outcomes,” Mirzoyan said, concluding that while there have been interim results, it is now time to see final ones.
In addition to the border issue, the ongoing disputes include Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, as well as its crucial role in aiding Azerbaijan in the 2020 Karabakh war.
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