Armenia ready to open land border with Turkey
Speaking at a meeting with foreign ambassadors, diplomats and representatives of think tanks at Poland’s Institute of International Relations, Pashinyan said Armenia sees no obstacles to opening a land border with Turkey and is ready for this step at any time.
According to him, there is a positive and constant dialog between Armenia and Turkey, meetings and consultations are held. Quoted by ArmenpressPashinyan emphasized that the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of the land border remain the key expected steps.
The Prime Minister reminded that the air communication between the countries is already functioning, regular flights are carried out, and their number may increase in the future. At the same time, the opening of the land border will require the creation of new infrastructure, the issue of support for which is being discussed with the European Union.
Nikol Pashinyan noted that, according to his impression, there is a common understanding of the necessity of opening the border, but the final decision depends on the Turkish side. He also stated that Armenia is ready to ensure the transit of goods from Turkey to Azerbaijan and in the opposite direction, emphasizing that the relevant infrastructure is fully prepared.
It should be recalled that Turkey recognized Armenia’s independence on December 24, 1991, but diplomatic relations between the countries have not been established yet. Protocols on diplomatic relations and development of bilateral ties were signed in 2009, but Turkey did not ratify them and the process was officially terminated in 2018. Since the end of 2021, a new stage of normalization is underway: special representatives have been appointed. The length of the common Armenian-Turkish border is 328 km.
