RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke about his visit to Turkey at the government meeting.
He noted that the topic of the visit and discussions was the earthquake in Turkey and Armenia's response to it, the humanitarian aid sent, and the actions of the rescuers; "I must state that the Turkish side showed appreciation both in terms of the response of the central authorities, local administrations, and the population," said Mirzoyan, noting that the Turkish side expressed its gratitude to RA at various levels.
The minister also noted that issues related to bilateral relations were also discussed in Turkey, "Specific agreements have also been reached. As the Turkish colleague informed me, I can confirm that there is a decision to speed up the dialogue process and open the final borders. As the second batch of aid left, our rescuers will return through the land border. It was announced that we would carry out joint work on the restoration of the historical bridge of Ani, and we will try to start border crossing by land for citizens of third countries and citizens of both countries with diplomatic passports before the start of the tourist season."
Responding to the words of the Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the actions of the Armenian side had a humanitarian motive, "I consider the criticisms directed at us unacceptable. I can't imagine a situation where millions of people across the door need support in a natural disaster, and anyone can be indifferent to it."
Regarding Armenian-Turkish relations, Pashinyan stressed that RA emphasized changing the quality of regional links: "Honestly, I am very sorry that such an atmospheric change is taking place in the event of such an unprecedented disaster. But also, objectively, human tragedy makes people more understanding of each other. I hope this can become a new starting point for establishing relations between Armenia and Turkey in the region."
Pashinyan stated that RA had prepared a sketch project for the Ani bridge, which can become symbolic.
