Expert: opening of Armenia-Turkey border would spur Armenian economy’s development
22.08.2013,
18:19
The opening of Armenia-Turkey border would spur Armenian economy’s development, Caucasus Institute Director Alexander Iskandaryan said Thursday at a news conference.
YEREVAN, August 22. / ARKA /. The opening of Armenia-Turkey border would spur Armenian economy’s development, Caucasus Institute Director Alexander Iskandaryan said Thursday at a news conference.
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 the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
“The opening of borders between Armenia and Turkey would have favorable impacts on Armenia’s economy, since it would open other markets for Armenian goods,” Iskandaryan said though finding prospects for settlement of this matter in the near future very low.
“Of course, theoretically this border will be opened sooner or later – there are no borders closed forever,” he said. “I don’t know when it will happen, but I see no signs of this process now.”
In his opinion, Turkey is now concerned about its domestic problems rather than about its border with Armenia.
“Although the United States, the main sponsor of this process, continues its efforts to open the border, but it has few levers to propel the process, or has no levers at all,” the political analyst said. ---0---
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 the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
“The opening of borders between Armenia and Turkey would have favorable impacts on Armenia’s economy, since it would open other markets for Armenian goods,” Iskandaryan said though finding prospects for settlement of this matter in the near future very low.
“Of course, theoretically this border will be opened sooner or later – there are no borders closed forever,” he said. “I don’t know when it will happen, but I see no signs of this process now.”
In his opinion, Turkey is now concerned about its domestic problems rather than about its border with Armenia.
“Although the United States, the main sponsor of this process, continues its efforts to open the border, but it has few levers to propel the process, or has no levers at all,” the political analyst said. ---0---
