TURKISH BUSINESS IN ARMENIA NOT TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH RUSSIAN ONE IF TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDER OPENED: SERGEY MARKEDONOV
Trend
Oct 29 2009
Azerbaijan
Russian and Turkish business in Armenia will rather differ in origin,
structure, tasks and objectives if the Armenian-Turkish border
is opened. They are unlikely to create competition to each other,
Russian expert on the South Caucasus, Sergey Markedonov, said.
"Russian business in Armenia is large. It is connected with power. It
is not retail trade and opening of trade putlets. Thus, Turkish
business can not be called a direct competition to Russian one,"
head of the department of international relations at the Institute
of Political and Military Analysis, Markedonov, told Trend News over
phone from Moscow.
If relations between Turkey and Armenia improve, the Armenian market
will be quite open and fully developed by Turkish business, he said.
There are contacts between Turkey and Armenia today. Markedonov said
that now they are held through third, fourth countries. There are
even organizations specializing in this remote collaboration.
Expert said that situation with Russian business in Armenia after
possible opening of Armenian-Turkish border is often discussed. But
Russian business in Armenia is bigger than possible Turkish one,
he said.
Any large Turkish business is likely to develop in Armenia in future.
But it is still a very distant prospect, Markedonov said.
"Armenia will win in political sector rather than economic one if
the border with Turkey is opened," he said.
Markedonov said that introduction of Turkish business in Armenia can
create some problems because Turkish business is well organized.
Armenian businessmen can face serious competition.
"Armenia has not faced economic collapse given blocked borders with
Turkey and Azerbaijan for the last 18 years. So, it is not worth
considering about any particular economic benefits after the border
is opened," Markedonov said.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers signed the protocols
Ankara-Yerevan in Zurich on October 10. Diplomatic relations were
broken in 1993.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
