Armenia Says No Turkish-Armenian Agreement At Summit

YEREVAN -- Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian has said that an agreement normalizing relations with Turkey could be reached "soon," but there is "no intention to sign any document" during this week's Black Sea Economic Cooperation meeting in Yerevan.

There were reports during U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Turkey in early April that an agreement establishing diplomatic relations between the two neighbors would be reached, but talks have stalled recently.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia must be resolved before relations can be normalized.

Nalbandian responded on April 16 by telling reporters that "Turkey will not play the role of a mediator in the Karabakh peace process."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told RFE/RL's Armenian Service that Russians "welcome all steps" leading to Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.

Nalbandian met in Yerevan with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on April 15.