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CE Secretary General: â€œNormalization of Armenian-Turkish ties may last 20 yearsâ€

09 February 2010 15:06 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA. Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland held out hope for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties, APA reports quoting CNN Turk. â€œThe process may need time but the very first step is done,â€ Jagland said at his visit to Ankara. Itâ€™s worth reminding that Turkey is going to assume the presidency of CE in November. Jagland said he had serious expectations particularly its regional role. The European official hailed Turkeyâ€™s efforts to set smooth ties with regional neighbors. Regarding the Armenian-Turkish ties jagland said: â€œI canâ€™t tell anything about the aftermaths. I donâ€™t know whether the both Parliaments will ratify the protocols. There are political obstacles. But the very first step is done and Iâ€™m sure thatâ€™s not the last one. The process may last 5-10 or even 20 years, but Armenia and Turkey are neighbors.â€

Note that Jagland is on a visit to Turkey.