Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers, Edvard Nalbandyan and Ahmed Davutoglu, have signed the protocols on the normalisation of relations between the two states.

The documents were signed at Zurich University on Saturday in the presence of mediator Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Ray, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Javier Solana and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

Under the protocol on the development of bilateral relations, the sides agreed to open the common border within two months after the document comes into effect, hold consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs, use the existing infrastructure, develop legal cooperation, establish cooperation in the consular field, as well as to maintain economic interaction and tourism. The protocol will come into effect after it is ratified by the parliaments of both countries.

Under the second protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, the parties agreed to establish diplomatic ties when the protocol came into effect.

Armenia and Turkey have the 330-km-long common border. But they have no diplomatic relations: they were interrupted in 1993 after the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Earlier, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said the policy towards normalising relations with Turkey is his choice.

In his address to the Armenian people, Sargsyan said: “Independence requires will and resoluteness to take responsible decisions. It also requires realism and the consistent work.”

“I chose this path and I chose it with deep responsibility for the historical moment and with the belief in the future of our people,” the Armenian president said.