Armenian Government to Host Turkish Media Visit to Discuss 'Crossroads of Peace' Project

The Armenian government has announced that a delegation of Turkish media representatives will soon visit the country. During this visit, the government plans to present and discuss its ambitious peace initiative, the “Crossroads of Peace” project. Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff at the Armenian Prime Minister’s office, shared these details during a recent budget debate held at Armenia’s National Assembly.

The “Crossroads of Peace” project, a key initiative by the Armenian government, aims to build dialogue and peace-building across the South Caucasus. Although exact details of the project have not been fully disclosed, Harutyunyan’s remarks indicate that Armenia is willing to bring together representatives from across the region, including Turkey, a neighboring country with which Armenia has complex historical relations. The project represents Armenia's efforts to bridge divides in a region marked by long standing political, cultural, and religious conflicts.

Harutyunyan emphasized that Armenia's government is keen to promote this peace-building initiative, which is expected to address multiple challenges and perspectives from across the South Caucasus. He also hinted at the involvement of diverse expert centers and think tanks in upcoming conferences and gatherings in Armenia. “We, on our part, support the promotion of the Crossroads of Peace idea,” said Harutyunyan. He noted that these discussions would take place either later this year or in early 2025.

Alongside this planned Turkish media delegation, Armenia is also preparing to host an Iranian delegation for a four-day expert exchange visit. This Iranian delegation will similarly engage in talks about the “Crossroads of Peace” project, illustrating Armenia's desire to bring together voices from across its neighboring countries.

Despite Armenia’s readiness to engage, historical issues remain a sensitive backdrop to these discussions. Relations between Armenia and Turkey have been strained for over a century, primarily due to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, which Turkey continues to deny officially. Further complicating this relationship is Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in the ongoing territorial invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh, a historically Armenian region. This support was particularly evident in recent years, as Turkey backed Azerbaijan during an intense offensive in 2020 and the subsequent genocide of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.