Türkiye and Armenia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly restore the ancient Ani Bridge, in a move described as a step towards strengthening ties between the two countries.
The agreement was announced on Monday following a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz on the sidelines of the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, Armenia's capital.
In their presence, Türkiye’s special envoy Serdar Kilic and Armenia’s special envoy Ruben Rubinyan signed the deal.
The Ani Bridge, long a symbol of division, is also seen as a potential sign of reconciliation between the two neighbours.
Yilmaz said the talks covered bilateral relations as well as transport, customs, energy and digital connectivity, with a focus on strengthening regional integration.
He noted that recent progress in the normalisation process is beginning to produce concrete results, signalling a gradual shift in diplomatic momentum.
The bridge restoration agreement reflects both “symbolic and concrete cooperation” between Türkiye and Armenia, Yilmaz said in a post on NSosyal.
“During the meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, we held a comprehensive review of bilateral relations. Discussions covered key areas including transportation, customs cooperation, energy, and efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure and connectivity. We are also pleased that the mutually constructive steps taken in the normalisation process are producing concrete progress,” he added.
European Political Community summit
Yilmaz also attended the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, where he held meetings on the sidelines.
Yilmaz, representing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, took part in the gathering at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, where Pashinyan welcomed him.
Following the opening ceremony, he joined the inaugural session and posed for a family photo with other leaders.
More than 40 leaders are attending the summit, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
On the sidelines, Yilmaz met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss bilateral ties and areas of cooperation.
In a statement shared on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Yilmaz said the talks covered Türkiye-Norway relations as well as cooperation in the economy, trade, tourism, investment, energy, science and technology, the defence industry and counterterrorism.
“Türkiye attaches importance to enhancing cooperation with Norway in all areas,” Yilmaz said, thanking Store for his constructive approach and contributions to bilateral ties.
Separately, Yilmaz met with Feridun Sinirlioglu, secretary general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
In a statement shared on NSosyal, Yilmaz expressed hope that the OSCE, with its institutional experience, will continue to contribute effectively to peace, stability and prosperity across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian regions, and wished Sinirlioglu success in his role.
