On May 3-7 a group of Armenian journalists visited Istanbul. The visit was organized under the joint annual program of Yerevan Press Club and the Association of Diplomatic Correspondents of Turkey, implemented since January 2002 with the assistance of Center for Global Peace of American University (Washington, DC). The project stipulates mutual visits of Armenian and Turkish journalists to learn about the lives of the two countries, meetings with political and public figures and the subsequent coverage in their media. As it has already been reported, the first meeting under the project was held in January this year in Yerevan (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, January 12-18, 2002).
On May 4 and 6 in Istanbul a round table meeting “Coverage of Relations between Armenia and Turkey by the Media of Two Countries” was held. At the meeting the journalists discussed the nature and the content of publications in the media of Armenia and Turkey on the bilateral relations. Having emphasized the importance for the dialogue between the media of the two countries, the representatives of the fourth state touched upon the numerous problems of the relations between Armenia and Turkey, the prospects of developing them in various spheres, as well as among the non-governmental organizations. During the visit the Armenian journalists met a group of Turkish businessmen, the representatives of the Armenian-language press of Turkey.
On their return to Yerevan on May 8 the participants of Istanbul meeting gave a press conference at the House of Journalist where they shared their impressions about the trip with colleagues.
