Armenia announces readiness to open borders with Turkey

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has announced that Armenia is prepared to open its borders with Turkey at any moment, stating that the necessary infrastructure for the movement of people, goods, and vehicles is complete.

During an Armenia-Turkey business forum in Yerevan, Khachaturyan emphasized the desire to establish formal diplomatic relations. He noted that the Kars-Akhalkalaki route is already being utilized for railway trade, allowing Armenian vehicles to cross the Turkish border without changing license plates. He also highlighted that opening the border would allow landlocked Armenia to access Turkish Mediterranean ports, potentially reducing the country's transport costs, which are currently approximately 30 percent higher than those of its neighbors.

In support of normalization, the Armenian Businessmen's Association and the Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a joint statement calling for the opening of border crossings to boost trade in sectors such as tourism, logistics, agriculture, and textiles.