Prime Minister hopes Turkey will open border with Armenia, establish diplomatic ties

Contacts between Armenia and Turkey have recently become noticeably more active, contributing to the process of normalizing relations, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the panel discussion “Armenia’s Vision for Peace Institutionalization, Regional Connectivity and EU Integration” held at the German Foreign Policy Council.

“These contacts are taking place at almost all levels: between myself and President Erdogan, between our foreign ministers and special representatives, as well as between the relevant sectoral ministries,” the Prime Minister said.

“In practice, we maintain very active negotiations and relations with official Ankara, even in the absence of de jure diplomatic relations,” Pashinyan emphasized.

Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed hope that Ankara would make the long-awaited political decision. “I hope that Turkey will make the long-awaited political decision to open its border with Armenia and establish diplomatic relations,” he added.

According to the Prime Minister, the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the TRIPP project, good-neighborly relations with Georgia and Iran, and constructive dialogue with Russia can position the South Caucasus as one of the most attractive transit corridors, including along the North–South and East–West routes.

“And we are exerting every effort to realize this historic opportunity,” the Prime Minister said.