Armenia’s vision for regional unblocking deemed constructive by Türkiye, says deputy FM

Türkiye considers Armenia’s vision for unblocking regional connections “constructive,” Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan has said.

Kostanyan noted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization and transport connectivity during their June 20 meeting in Istanbul.

“I believe the significant importance of opening regional connections was acknowledged by both Armenia and Türkiye at the meeting. It is no secret that Türkiye aims to enhance its connectivity with Central Asia, while for Armenia—as a landlocked country—having open borders is a vital necessity. Recent developments have shown that practically three, if not three and a half, of our borders were closed due to the situation surrounding Iran,” Kostanyan stated at a press briefing. 

He added that Pashinyan presented the Crossroads of Peace project to Erdoğan during their discussions.

“There is essentially a mutual understanding that Armenia is approaching the opening of regional connections constructively with its proposals. Armenia’s vision has been assessed as constructive by our Turkish counterparts,” Kostanyan said, referring to Türkiye’s reaction to the Crossroads of Peace initiative.