Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan is expected to arrive in Turkey on a visit, which the Turkish Foreign Ministry has described as ‘symbolic’.
As the official reason for his trip here, officials on both sides name the presence at a ‘revenge game’ between the Armenian and Turkish national football teams that will play in the town of Bursa as part of the qualifying round for World Cup 2010.
The Foreign Ministry said in a communiqu· Sargsyan will visit this country at the invitation by President Abdullah Gul in the follow-up to the October 10 signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and development of bilateral relations.
“Along with an opportunity to ensure top-level contacts between the two countries, this visit also has a symbolic meaning as it marks the first-ever trip by an Armenian President to Turkey,” the ministry said.
Reports indicate this visit will furnish Sargsyan and Gul with an opportunity to discuss some problems in bilateral relations.
They will do this at dinner, after which they will go together to the Attaturk stadium to watch the game.
The owner of he hotel that Sargsyan chose as the place of accommodation told the semi-official Anatolian news agency that the visit has been organized at the highest possible level. Also, the local authorities have tightened security measures.
