Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in New York on Wednesday to discuss efforts to normalize relations between Türkiye and Armenia, as well as regional and global developments.

The meeting was held at the Turkish House, or Türkevi, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also attended the meeting.

According to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdoğan said Ankara supports continued progress in the normalization process, particularly in the areas of bilateral trade and transportation.

He stressed the importance of maintaining the positive momentum in relations between the two neighboring countries as they work to expand contacts and cooperation.

Erdoğan also welcomed reciprocal steps taken by Azerbaijan and Armenia as part of their peace process, saying progress between the two countries could contribute to broader regional stability and support the normalization track between Türkiye and Armenia.

The Turkish president further highlighted growing cooperation between Türkiye and Armenia in international organizations, saying such engagement contributes to the normalization process.

As part of efforts to strengthen dialogue, Erdoğan invited Pashinyan to attend the COP31 Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Türkiye later this year.

Türkiye has repeatedly expressed support for efforts to establish lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia and has linked progress on the two countries’ peace process with its own normalization efforts with Yerevan.

Erdoğan has previously said that developments in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process could have a positive impact on Türkiye-Armenia relations.

The latest meeting comes as Ankara and Yerevan continue diplomatic contacts aimed at advancing normalization, including discussions on transportation and economic cooperation.

The two countries have no formal diplomatic relations, but recent years have seen increased high-level contacts and efforts to reopen transport links and expand bilateral economic ties.

The meeting in New York was held as leaders and senior officials gathered for the annual UN General Assembly, providing an opportunity for Türkiye and Armenia to discuss bilateral relations alongside broader regional issues.

For Ankara, maintaining momentum in the normalization process with Armenia is also closely connected to developments in the South Caucasus, particularly efforts to establish lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Erdoğan’s invitation to Pashinyan to attend the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Türkiye represents another opportunity for the two sides to maintain high-level engagement and expand cooperation through multilateral platforms. (ILKHA)