Armenia weighs positives and negatives of opening the Armenia-Turkish border

Armenian Minister of Economy Nerses Eritsian suggests that the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border will have some negative consequences as well as significant positive ones. In 2007 the Armenian International Policy Research Group (AIPRG) held a conference at which it assessed the pluses and minuses of opening the border. The main threat this move presents is that Turkish products will flood the Armenian market, although conversely Armenian products will have the possibility of entering other countries.

Eritsian thinks that Armenia’s future depends much on encouraging the development of the country’s export potential and opening the border will accelerate this process to the extent that exports will counter the threat of imported Turkish products conquering the Armenian market. He has also stressed that in Armenia there is an increasing demand for high quality products, so Turkish goods will have to compete with high quality European, North American or Asian ones.

Eritsian says that opening the border will bring mostly positive results. Good cooperation can be established between Armenian and Turkish industrialists, and through Turkey Armenia could reach EU markets by achieving a free trade agreement with the EU, Turkey being a member of the EU customs union.