5 minute read
Armenia is ready to open its border with Türkiye to third-country nationals and holders of diplomatic passports and is awaiting Türkiye’s implementation of the agreement, Ruben Rubinyan, candidate for Speaker of the National Assembly, has said.
Rubinyan made the remarks during the inaugural session of the ninth-convocation National Assembly in response to a question from Agnesa Khamoyan, a lawmaker from the Armenia faction.
Khamoyan asked what results had been achieved during the past five years of the Armenia-Türkiye normalisation process and why the 2022 agreement to open the border to third-country nationals had not yet been implemented.
“This process, which is, if I am not mistaken, the fourth in Armenia’s history, began in December 2021, and we held our first meeting at the beginning of 2022. A number of agreements have already been implemented, while others are still awaiting implementation,” Rubinyan said.
According to him, one of the implemented agreements was the restoration of direct Yerevan-Istanbul flights.
“As of 2022, those flights had not been operating for several years. More recently, the number of flights has increased. Another implemented agreement was the establishment of direct air cargo services between the two countries,” he said.
Rubinyan also said that conditions had been created for direct trade between Armenia and Türkiye.
“Until recently, for example, goods exported from Armenia to Türkiye or imported from Türkiye to Armenia had to be processed through the territory of Georgia for customs purposes before being cleared. About one or two months ago, the Turkish side removed that restriction,” he said.
According to the candidate for Speaker, another important development was the opportunity for Armenian businesses to use the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway.
“Initially, the restriction on railway transit for the Armenian side through the territory of Azerbaijan was lifted, and now the same has happened through the territory of Türkiye. This gives our businesses access to the Turkish market, as well as to European Union markets and even the Syrian market via Türkiye. This is a very important development,” Rubinyan said.
He also noted that the sides had reached an agreement on the joint restoration of the historic Ani Bridge.
Responding to Rubinyan’s remarks, Khamoyan said that the key issue remained the opening of the Armenia-Türkiye border, which has yet to be be resolved.
“In 2022, you announced with great fanfare that the border would be opened to third-country nationals. Why has that agreement not been implemented? Why have you failed to reach agreement on opening the border?” Khamoyan asked.
Rubinyan said Armenia and Türkiye had established a working group to discuss the technical requirements for restoring and reopening the Gyumri-Kars railway.
“Both sides have stated at the level of their foreign ministries that this is the objective, and a working group has been established. Moreover, Türkiye has already begun rehabilitation work on its section of the Gyumri-Kars railway up to the Armenian border,” Rubinyan said.
Referring to the agreement to open the border to third-country nationals and holders of diplomatic passports, he said Armenia’s infrastructure had long been ready.
“The Turkish side has also recently completed the renovation and restoration of its infrastructure, and we are now awaiting implementation of the agreement,” Rubinyan concluded.