ARMENIAN ECONOMY MINISTRY HAS POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS FROM OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER
/ARKA/
April 29, 2009
YEREVAN
The RA Ministry of Economy has positive expectations from aftereffects
of opening Armenian-Turkish state border, RA Minister of Economy
Nerses Yeritsyan said answering a question from ARKA.
On the night of April 23 Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Turkey,
with mediation of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
made a joint announcement on regulating bilateral relations. The sides
also announced about establishing a "roadmap" for normalization of
bilateral relations.
He stressed both sides will benefit from open economic and trade
markets.
"Closed borders are the most negative manifestation of protectionism
and both sides suffer from it," he said. Besides, according to the
Minister, the nations of both countries will receive a psychological
transformation. "This is very important for introducing new initiatives
from the both sides and possibilities to think wider," said Yeritsyan.
Minister also stressed the significant decrease in transport
expenditure which will be possible when borders open as immediate
access to Mediterranean Sea will ensure a significant economy of
means in the sector of business.
There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and the
state border has been closed since 1993 on Ankara’s initiative.
Turkey has set a number of pre-conditions for improving bilateral
relations, namely, Armenia’s abandoning the policy of international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire during WWI,
when some 1.5mln Armenians were massacred. Besides Turkey has an open
pro-Azerbaijani stance in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Yerevan, in its turn, is ready to establish bilateral relations
without any preconditions.