Armenia and Turkey not establishing, but legalizing their economic cooperation: Armenian expert
YEREVAN, September 8, /ARKA/. An Armenian economist said today that Armenia and Turkey are not establishing economic cooperation, but legalizing the existing one, that has grown substantially in the recent decade. Tatul Manaserian, who serves as an aide to parliament speaker on economic issues, said about 25% of Armenia’s foreign trade falls on Turkey.
According to official figures of the National Statistical Service (NSS), Armenia’s trade with Turkey in Jan.-July, 2009 shrank by 28 % to $86.7 million. Armenian exports to Turkey plunged by 50.1% year-on-year to $539,8000 (0.2% of all Armenian experts), while imports from Turkey fell by 27.8% to $86.2 million.
According to Manaserian, Armenia is still unable to offer quality goods at competitive prices and this is why Armenian imports from Turkey dominate over Armenian exports. He believes that the opening of the border, expected on both sides, will force Armenia and Turkey to form a new relationship.
He argued that Turkey wants to open the border more than Armenia because as a nation aspiring to join the European Union, ‘Ankara needs to show the world that it is not only a civilized country but a country with free economy and open borders.’
He added that normalization of relations with Armenia will allow Turkey to buy Armenia-generated electricity and cover a huge shortage of power in its eastern regions.
In a joint statement released on August 31 night, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey as well as Switzerland said Ankara and Yerevan have agreed to start “internal political consultations” on two bilateral protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and reopening of their border.
According to the press release, the protocols provide for a framework for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian bilateral relations within a reasonable timeframe. ‘The political consultations will be completed within six weeks, following which the two Protocols will be signed and submitted to the respective Parliaments for the ratification on each side. Both sides will make their best efforts for the timely progression of the ratification in line with their constitutional and legal procedures,’ it said.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.
There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara’s blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.
The thaw in the strained relations began in 2008 September after Turkish president Abdullah Gul arrived in Armenia, at his counterpart’s invitation, to watch together with Serzh Sargsyan the 2010 World Cup qualifying football game between the two countries’ national teams. During that visit the two presidents discussed prospects for engaging in dialogue and normalization of relations. -0-
