Top diplomats gather as Turkey, Armenia set to sign accords

Oct 10, 2009, 14:32 GMT

   Zurich - Top diplomats from around the world were gathering Saturday in Zurich to be on hand for the historic signing of protocols by Turkey and Armenia in their bid to open a new era of diplomatic ties after years of hostility.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner were all to be on hand for the signing ceremony Saturday evening at Zurich university.

The spotlight there will be on Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Armenian counterpart, Eduard Nalbandian, as they sign a set of protocols to put the two countries on a path towards a renewal of diplomatic relations.

The deal, negotiated by the Swiss, was announced six weeks ago. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey will also be witness to the signing.

Ankara and Yerevan broke off relations in 1993 when Turkey closed its border with Armenia after it invaded the Azerbaijan territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

   But the animosity goes back decades further to what Armenia alleges was the genocide of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Turks during World War I, a charge Ankara denies.

   The protocols to be signed call for the renewal of diplomatic ties, the opening of the common border and the establishment of a historical commission to investigate the events during World War I.

   The agreements would then have to be passed by the two countries' parliaments.

   Switzerland said it acted 'as mediator in the process to normalize bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey for over a year.'