MANVEL BADEYAN: "OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WILL GIVE NOTHING TO ARMENIA IN ECONOMIC TERMS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 21, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. "Today we finance the economy of
Turkey with over 150 million U.S. dollars, just as much as the sum
Turkey gives to Azerbaijan as military assistance," Manvel Badeyan,
the founder of the Eurostan Uyut company and a member of the Republican
Party of Armenia faction of the National Assembly, declared at the
parliamentary hearings dedicated to the Armenian-Turkish relations,
which were held on December 20.

Thus, according to the MP, "we are fighting with ourselves with our
own money."

According to Manvel Badeyan, one of the ways to struggle against it
is the increase in tax payments for Turkish products, particularly,
when Turkey "does not show any flash" of improvement with regard to
the relations with Armenia. In connection with the possible opening
of the border between the two countries, the MP expressed an opinion,
according to which that will "give nothing to Armenia in economic
terms", as, at present, in return for at least 150 million dollars
annualy, products, "moreover not dressed leather of cattle" of 2
million U.S. dollars, in general, is exported to Turkey from Armenia.