Turkey, Armenia agree to normalize ties 'without preconditions'

Turkey and Armenia's special envoys held a meeting Tuesday, in Vienna, in which they agreed to aim for a comprehensive normalization of the troubled relationship between the two neighboring countries, according to their foreign ministries. 
 
Armenia's Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan and Turkey’s special envoy Serdar Kilic had the third dialogue since their countries launched a reconciliation process in January in Moscow. The dialogue was described as "sincere and productive."
 
They reaffirmed the declared goal of "achieving full normalization… and discussed possible steps that can be undertaken for tangible progress in this direction. They also reiterated their agreement to continue the process without preconditions," a statement read. 

The relationship between the two countries has been strained due to Turkey refusing to recognize the Armenian genocide, which was committed by the Ottoman Empire during WWI.

The relations between the two countries have further deteriorated because of the Nagorno-Karabakh war when Turkey allied with Azerbaijan.

They have had no diplomatic ties and no cross-border movement since 1993.