ZURICH, Switzerland (World Bulletin)–The world’s football governing body is set to award its 2008 ‘Fair-play prize’ to the Turkish and Armenian national football teams for their contributions to peace in a World Cup group stage match.
FIFA will present the international award at a ceremony on Monday at Zurich, Switzerland.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan to watch the football match between Armenia and Turkey together with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian on September 6, 2008. The match ended 0-2 in favor of Turkey. Gul invited Sarkisian to a return match in Turkey to be held on November 14, 2009.
Since the match a series of meetings between the Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers signaled a thawing of relations between the two countries and raised prospects that Ankara may be ready lift its blockade and normalize relations with Yerevan.
