RE-OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVEMENT OF SITUATION IN REGION
07.07.2007,
04:10
The re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will contribute to the improvement of the situation in the region, said Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan during his report on “Modern condition of Armenian-Turkish relations”.
YEREVAN, July 6. /ARKA/. The re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will contribute to the improvement of the situation in the region, said Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan during his report on “Modern condition of Armenian-Turkish relations” within the Summer School in Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, on July 1-8, 2007.
He pointed out that because of having only two open borders with Georgia and Iran, the Armenian economy has changed its infrastructure, and the country as a whole only depends on transportations, mainly through Poti and Batoumi harbors.
“The railroad with Turkey, built in the soviet times and through which humanitarian cargo used to arrive in Armenia in the first years of independence, does not operate any more,” he said.
In this connection Kirakosyan said that the re-opening of this branch of the railroad may contribute to the development of the regional economic cooperation, improvement of the political atmosphere in the region. He added that negotiations were conducted on the non-levy of tariffs for transit transportations to Georgia.
“If the heads of Turkey and Azerbaijan solved the issue in the political sphere, it would have been a positive economic step for Georgia from the viewpoint of railroad communication with Turkey,” he said and added that instead the agreement on constructing Kars-Tbilisi railway, again by-passing Armenia, was signed.
In this connection Kirakosyan pointed out that, in fact, Armenia’s blockade continues and that Armenian businessmen bear enough losses for the turnover being executed through third countries.
“However, there exist non-official economic relations between Armenia and Turkey, but the trade balance is not big – it does not exceed $100mln per year,” he said.
On February 7, 2007, in Tbilisi, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey signed an international framework agreement on creating international transport railroad corridor Kars-Tbilisi-Baku, which envisages construction of a 98-km railroad, as well as rehabilitation of the railroad Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi.
The project costs $600mln. The annual cargo traffic by Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad corridor will make 2-3mln tons during the first years with the perspective of being increased up to 5-8mln tons.
The USA does not approve of the project, as it will contribute to Armenia’s economic isolation in the region.
The railroad joining the Armenian city of Gyumri and Turkish city of Kars stopped operating in 1993.
The Armenian-Turkish border closed inn 1993 on the initiative of official Ankara. These countries have no diplomatic relations. L.M. –0--
He pointed out that because of having only two open borders with Georgia and Iran, the Armenian economy has changed its infrastructure, and the country as a whole only depends on transportations, mainly through Poti and Batoumi harbors.
“The railroad with Turkey, built in the soviet times and through which humanitarian cargo used to arrive in Armenia in the first years of independence, does not operate any more,” he said.
In this connection Kirakosyan said that the re-opening of this branch of the railroad may contribute to the development of the regional economic cooperation, improvement of the political atmosphere in the region. He added that negotiations were conducted on the non-levy of tariffs for transit transportations to Georgia.
“If the heads of Turkey and Azerbaijan solved the issue in the political sphere, it would have been a positive economic step for Georgia from the viewpoint of railroad communication with Turkey,” he said and added that instead the agreement on constructing Kars-Tbilisi railway, again by-passing Armenia, was signed.
In this connection Kirakosyan pointed out that, in fact, Armenia’s blockade continues and that Armenian businessmen bear enough losses for the turnover being executed through third countries.
“However, there exist non-official economic relations between Armenia and Turkey, but the trade balance is not big – it does not exceed $100mln per year,” he said.
On February 7, 2007, in Tbilisi, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey signed an international framework agreement on creating international transport railroad corridor Kars-Tbilisi-Baku, which envisages construction of a 98-km railroad, as well as rehabilitation of the railroad Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi.
The project costs $600mln. The annual cargo traffic by Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad corridor will make 2-3mln tons during the first years with the perspective of being increased up to 5-8mln tons.
The USA does not approve of the project, as it will contribute to Armenia’s economic isolation in the region.
The railroad joining the Armenian city of Gyumri and Turkish city of Kars stopped operating in 1993.
The Armenian-Turkish border closed inn 1993 on the initiative of official Ankara. These countries have no diplomatic relations. L.M. –0--
