Armenian minister says Turkey border could open at any time

Armenian Foreign and Foreign Trade Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the Turkey-Armenia border could open at any time. Speaking to journalists at the Leaders Summit held in Yerevan within COP17, Mirzoyan said: "Tomorrow we may wake up and see the Turkey-Armenia border open."

According to the minister, the normalisation process between Armenia and Turkey has matured enough to allow a decision to open the border at any time. He said dialogue between the two countries has intensified, is conducted through diplomatic channels and covers various economic and trade issues.

Mirzoyan stressed that Armenia could already open the border for bilateral movement of people, as well as passenger and cargo transport. He recalled that Turkey and Azerbaijan support the parallel progress of the two normalisation processes. He also said Armenia is in a state of peace with Azerbaijan and that trade is taking place, but not directly through a shared border. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 over Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.