Turkey on Monday welcomed the results of Armenia’s parliamentary election and expressed hope that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government would take further steps toward regional peace and normalized relations.
“We hope that in the post-election period, Armenia will take bolder steps towards peace and normalisation in the region,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party won nearly 50 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election, finishing well ahead of the main opposition Strong Armenia alliance.
The result gives Pashinyan a renewed mandate to pursue a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and restore relations with Turkey.
Turkey and Armenia have no formal diplomatic relations, and their land border has been closed since 1993.
The neighbors launched normalization talks in late 2021, appointing special representatives to discuss restoring diplomatic ties and reopening the border. Direct flights have since resumed and Turkey lifted restrictions on direct trade with Armenia in May.
© Agence France-Presse