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RE-OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVEMENT OF SITUATION IN REGION
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 6 2007
YEREVAN, July 6. /ARKA/. The re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
will contribute to the improvement of the situation in the region, said
Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan during his report
on "Modern condition of Armenian-Turkish relations" within the Summer
School in Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, on July 1-8, 2007.
He pointed out that because of having only two open borders with
Georgia and Iran, the Armenian economy has changed its infrastructure,
and the country as a whole only depends on transportations, mainly
through Poti and Batoumi harbors.
"The railroad with Turkey, built in the soviet times and through which
humanitarian cargo used to arrive in Armenia in the first years of
independence, does not operate any more," he said.
In this connection Kirakosyan said that the re-opening of this branch
of the railroad may contribute to the development of the regional
economic cooperation, improvement of the political atmosphere in the
region. He added that negotiations were conducted on the non-levy of
tariffs for transit transportations to Georgia.
"If the heads of Turkey and Azerbaijan solved the issue in the
political sphere, it would have been a positive economic step for
Georgia from the viewpoint of railroad communication with Turkey," he
said and added that instead the agreement on constructing Kars-Tbilisi
railway, again by-passing Armenia, was signed.
In this connection Kirakosyan pointed out that, in fact, Armenia's
blockade continues and that Armenian businessmen bear enough losses
for the turnover being executed through third countries.
"However, there exist non-official economic relations between Armenia
and Turkey, but the trade balance is not big - it does not exceed
$100mln per year," he said.
On February 7, 2007, in Tbilisi, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey
signed an international framework agreement on creating international
transport railroad corridor Kars-Tbilisi-Baku, which envisages
construction of a 98-km railroad, as well as rehabilitation of the
railroad Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi.
The project costs $600mln. The annual cargo traffic by
Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad corridor will make 2-3mln tons during the
first years with the perspective of being increased up to 5-8mln tons.
The USA does not approve of the project, as it will contribute to
Armenia's economic isolation in the region.
The railroad joining the Armenian city of Gyumri and Turkish city of
Kars stopped operating in 1993.
The Armenian-Turkish border closed inn 1993 on the initiative of
official Ankara. These countries have no diplomatic relations.
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 6 2007
YEREVAN, July 6. /ARKA/. The re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
will contribute to the improvement of the situation in the region, said
Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan during his report
on "Modern condition of Armenian-Turkish relations" within the Summer
School in Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, on July 1-8, 2007.
He pointed out that because of having only two open borders with
Georgia and Iran, the Armenian economy has changed its infrastructure,
and the country as a whole only depends on transportations, mainly
through Poti and Batoumi harbors.
"The railroad with Turkey, built in the soviet times and through which
humanitarian cargo used to arrive in Armenia in the first years of
independence, does not operate any more," he said.
In this connection Kirakosyan said that the re-opening of this branch
of the railroad may contribute to the development of the regional
economic cooperation, improvement of the political atmosphere in the
region. He added that negotiations were conducted on the non-levy of
tariffs for transit transportations to Georgia.
"If the heads of Turkey and Azerbaijan solved the issue in the
political sphere, it would have been a positive economic step for
Georgia from the viewpoint of railroad communication with Turkey," he
said and added that instead the agreement on constructing Kars-Tbilisi
railway, again by-passing Armenia, was signed.
In this connection Kirakosyan pointed out that, in fact, Armenia's
blockade continues and that Armenian businessmen bear enough losses
for the turnover being executed through third countries.
"However, there exist non-official economic relations between Armenia
and Turkey, but the trade balance is not big - it does not exceed
$100mln per year," he said.
On February 7, 2007, in Tbilisi, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey
signed an international framework agreement on creating international
transport railroad corridor Kars-Tbilisi-Baku, which envisages
construction of a 98-km railroad, as well as rehabilitation of the
railroad Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi.
The project costs $600mln. The annual cargo traffic by
Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad corridor will make 2-3mln tons during the
first years with the perspective of being increased up to 5-8mln tons.
The USA does not approve of the project, as it will contribute to
Armenia's economic isolation in the region.
The railroad joining the Armenian city of Gyumri and Turkish city of
Kars stopped operating in 1993.
The Armenian-Turkish border closed inn 1993 on the initiative of
official Ankara. These countries have no diplomatic relations.