Armenian president welcomes Turkish plan for Caucasus forum

Sargsyan was speaking after a meeting with a senior Turkish envoy on the eve of an expected visit to Armenia by Turkish President Abdullah Gul that would mark a major breakthrough in ties.Â

"Armenia has always welcomed and welcomes all efforts directed at the strengthening of confidence, stability and security, and at deepening cooperation in the region," Sarkisian said in a statement after meeting with Gul's special envoy Unal Cevikoz in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

He added Cevikoz's visit "raises the possibility of talks to settle mutual relations" between the two countries, which have no diplomatic ties.

Sargsyan invited Gul to Armenia to watch together the 2010 World Cup qualifying round game between the two countries national teams on Sept. 6 to mark "a new symbolic start in the countries' relations".Â

Gul's close circles and recent reports claim the Turkish president would accept the invitation and travel to Yerevan to watch the game. But Turkish officials have refrained from revealing the final decision until the last moment.

Gul could become the first Turkish leader to visit neighboring Armenia on Saturday.

NATO member Turkey has called for the establishment of a forum to boost cooperation in the Caucasus, involving regional countries and Moscow, after tensions between Georgia and Russia erupted in a military conflict last month.

Turkey is among the first countries that recognized Armenia when it declared its independency. However there is no diplomatic relations between the two countries, as Armenia presses the international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, and its invasion of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory despite U.N. Security Council resolutions on the issue.