Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Media Release
Signing of Protocols between the Republic of Armenia and the
Republic of Turkey in Zurich
09.10.2009
A ceremony to mark the signing of the Protocols between the Republic
of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey will take place tomorrow in
Zurich. Armenia’s Foreign Minister, Edouard Nalbandian, and Turkey’s
Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, will sign the Protocols in the
presence of Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey. The signing
ceremony will also be attended by US Secretary of State, Hillary
Rodham Clinton, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, the
French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, the Slovenian Foreign
Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe, Samuel Zbogar, and the Secretary-General of the Council of the
European Union, Javier Solana. The signing is the culmination of a
mediation process on the part of Switzerland initiated at the request
of the parties.
Switzerland has acted as mediator in the process to normalise bilateral
relations between Armenia and Turkey for over a year. This mediation
was conducted at the request of the two parties as part of
Switzerland’s good offices. On 31 August 2009, the two parties agreed
to launch internal political consultations culminating in the signing
of the two Protocols. In agreement with the parties, Switzerland will
host the ceremony tomorrow, 10 October 2009, in Zurich.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs