Armenia on Wednesday said it was "close" to establishing diplomatic relations and opening borders with neighboring Turkey to end decades of enmity. "I share the opinion of my Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan that we are close to establishing diplomatic relations and the opening of borders," Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian was quoted by AFP as telling reporters.
"We can make a new step forward if Turkey, like Armenia, accepts a settlement without preliminary conditions."
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, and Armenia's invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan. The two countries have been holding contacts at the minister level since.
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