Armenia wants to gain access to Turkey's Mediterranean ports

Armenia is doing everything to open the border with Turkey and establish diplomatic relations with it, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan said.

"We are doing everything so that the borders are actually opened and diplomatic relations are established. A pause has been taken in the diplomatic process, and we are trying to find a solution under which not only Armenian-Turkish relations will develop, but general peace will also be established in the region as a whole," Khachaturyan said.

According to the president, the process of Armenian-Turkish normalization is also being considered in the context of improving relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and establishing regional peace.

In Khachaturyan's assessment, the intensification of contacts between Armenia and Turkey contributes to the gradual strengthening of mutual trust and more practical cooperation between the two countries.

He emphasized that there are already practical changes in the two countries' trade relations: trade carried out by rail has given Armenia the opportunity to use the Kars-Akhalkalaki route:

"In addition, a special trade code was established for us. Previously, goods imported into Armenia arrived with Georgian codes. Now this happens directly." He noted that Armenian vehicles can also currently cross the Turkish border without changing license plates.

"When we see this progress even compared to the beginning of the year, we feel that quite serious work is being carried out by the relevant bodies of the two countries, and this is producing its result," Khachaturyan noted.

He emphasized the importance of developing relations with Turkey also from the standpoint of diversifying markets: "We understood what it means to depend on one market or to work in only one direction. Now it is necessary to diversify our trade relations, which is what we are doing. The Turkish direction is also part of this process."

The president emphasized the importance of the Turkish direction also because Armenia is a landlocked country, and transportation costs significantly affect the cost and competitiveness of Armenian products. According to Khachaturyan, calculations carried out in Armenia show that the country's transportation costs are approximately 30% higher than in neighboring countries. He noted that the opening of the border with Turkey will give Armenia the opportunity to use Turkish ports on the Mediterranean Sea.

Source: Armenpress