YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Since the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border to citizens of third countries is currently being discussed, its first and fastest impact will be an increase in tourist flows, said Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Anushik Avetyan during a tour of the Margara checkpoint on the Armenia-Turkey border, adding that this will especially affect the service sector.
“The opening of the border with Turkey can have a quick practical and positive impact on the economy. It is obvious that many problems are created for business entities when, being a landlocked country, two out of four borders are closed at the same time. As you know, we are highly dependent on the Lars checkpoint, and the opening of the border with Turkey will help business entities in several ways. First, transportation costs will be reduced, supply chains will be streamlined, and access to markets will be expanded. Closed borders have increased logistics costs for many years and limited competition and created major problems for Armenian producers in terms of finding their place in the global market,” Avetyan added, also emphasizing the opening of the border with Turkey from the perspective of Armenia’s export diversification agenda.
She said she believes that opening the border will make it possible to reduce dependence on limited routes and destinations, as well as enter new markets and diversify exports.
“At the same time, expert studies show that this will have a positive impact on foreign trade, as well as on the inflow of investments and the investment environment. According to some expert studies, a 20 percent increase in investment flows is expected not only in Armenia, but also in the region. I would like to emphasize that at the moment we are conducting a study to assess in more detail what impact the opening of borders will have on the economy and, perhaps, in the second stage, we will also conduct a study of what interconnections it will have on all economies in the region, what changes it will bring to cooperation and economic development,” the Deputy Minister noted, expressing confidence that shorter and more affordable logistics routes will allow Armenian manufacturers to enter new markets, reduce dependence on a limited number of destinations, and ensure faster and more flexible supplies.
According to Avetyan, with the lifting of the road blockade and the proximity of the EU-Turkey Customs Union, Armenia’s export opportunities to the EU can expand, especially in terms of industrial goods.
She considered it significant that open borders will benefit not only Armenia, but also the entire region.
