- Jun 25 2021 04:48 Gmt+3
- Last Updated On: Jun 25 2021 04:51 Gmt+3
Armenia has extended its temporary import ban on Turkish-made products for another six months, the country’s Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said.
Imports from Turkey have dropped by about 70 percent since the original ban, Kerobyan said, Panarmenian news website reported on Thursday.
The ban came into effect on Jan. 1 this year, in response to Turkey’s military support to Azerbaijan in the armed conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region last autumn.
Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, began a successful military offensive in September against Armenian forces in the breakaway region Armenians call Artsakh. The conflict ended in November with a Russia-brokered ceasefire. Azerbaijan regained control in much of the disputed territory controlled by ethnic Armenians since the 1990s with Turkey providing crucial military support during the conflict.
Kerobyan said that while imports of raw materials and intermediate goods such as building materials, knitted fabrics and leather continued, almost no finished goods from Turkey were delivered.
According to government data, Armenia imported $268 million worth of Turkish-manufactured products in 2019 and $178 million worth of Turkish goods in January-October 2020, Arka news website reported in April.