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 Armenia must play important role in “Caucasus Platform” but Turkey fears Baku’s negative reaction, the information is leaked from U.S. State Department documents published by WikiLeaks.

Doug Silliman Charge at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara reports that Turkey wants the platform to have a mechanism for conflict resolution and crisis management, as well as elements to discuss economic cooperation, tourism, energy security and related issues.

Cevikoz emphasized Turkey’s view that Armenia must play an important role in any such mechanism; Erdogan will travel next week to Baku to sound out the Azerbaijanis and the Turks will soon pulse the Armenians (informally) as well. Medvedev and Erdogan tasked their Foreign Ministers with further developing the stability pact concept.

Cevikoz said that no decision has been made yet on President Gul attending the September 6 World Cup qualifier in Yerevan. MFA DDG for Americas Ercin told CDA separately that the MFA is currently engaged in a debate on the pros and cons of Gul’s attendance, with the chief negative the likely very negative Azerbaijani reaction. CDA encouraged Gul’s attendance as a powerful symbol of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.