The Turkish president, Abdullah Gül, has praised Switzerland for its mediation efforts in a long-running dispute with Armenia.
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On a two-day state visit to Switzerland, he also stressed the potential for closer business ties between the two countries.
Gül said Turkey is committed to striving for peace and stability in the Caucasus region by normalising relations with Armenia.
Swiss President Doris Leuthard encouraged Turkey to boost cooperation with Armenia despite recent setbacks.
Last year both countries signed a Swiss-brokered deal aimed at ending decades of hostility over massacres of ethnic Armenians under the Ottoman empire in 1915-1917.
However the peace process has stalled amid a dispute with Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Gül’s visit to Bern on Thursday took place amid unprecedented security in the city centre.
The Turkish president is also due to meet business leaders in Zurich and to visit a forum on environmentally-friendly technologies.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.