Turkey and Armenia Sign Historic Accord

Over the weekend, foreign ministers for Turkey and Armenia signed protocols to reestablish diplomatic ties and reopen the border between their countries after decades of hostility.  Tensions between the two countries certainly remain and even threatened to dispupt the signing ceremony.  Armenia wants Turkey to recognize what Armenia considers to be genocide committed against its people by Turkey during World War I.  For its part, Turkey is unhappy about Armenia's occupation of part of neighbouring Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.  The protocols must still be ratified by each country's parliament.  Improvement in relations between the two countries may also have a positive impact on Turkey's accession application to the European Union.

(cgb)