Turkish President Abdullah Gul will leave for a state visit to Switzerland in the end of this week.

In an interview with Turkiye, Swiss President Doris Leuthard said that decision who to invite is of strategic importance for the country, recalling that only two presidents are received at a state level each year.

Relations between two states deteriorated after Swiss lower house of parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2003. Ankara even canceled a visit of Swiss Foreign Minister to Turkey. However, in 2005 after Turkish FM’s visit to Switzerland the relations improved.

As NEWS.am reported earlier, Switzerland was a mediator in normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. The protocols were signed on October 1 in Zurich. The protocols have not been ratified so far due to preconditions set by Ankara.

Early this month Doris Leuthard expressed hope that the Armenian-Turkish dialogue would continue.