Armenia links peace efforts to trade with Azerbaijan and Türkiye

Armenia’s foreign minister has said it is time for Yerevan and Ankara to move from dialogue to concrete action in their long-stalled efforts to normalise relations, signalling that a symbolic breakthrough could come before the end of the year.

Speaking on Armenian Public Television, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said talks between Armenia and Türkiye were progressing positively, but stressed that the process must now deliver tangible results. 

Mirzoyan expressed confidence that noticeable progress could be achieved in the near future, adding that an important symbolic step could be taken by the end of the year.

Armenia and Türkiye have had no diplomatic relations since 1991, and their shared land border has remained closed since 1993 at Ankara’s initiative. Despite decades of strained ties, both sides have in recent years signalled a willingness to pursue normalisation.

In December 2021, the two countries appointed special representatives to lead the process. In March 2022, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Türkiye confirmed their readiness to advance talks without preconditions, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of the border.

However, Yerevan says Türkiye has yet to implement an agreement to open the land border to citizens of third countries. Armenian officials have repeatedly stated their readiness for such a move and say the Margara border checkpoint has been brought to full technical readiness.

The most recent meeting between the special envoys — Türkiye’s Serdar Kılıç and Armenia’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan, took place at the Margara crossing.

The talks focused on accelerating the implementation of agreements reached on 1 July, 2022, on the partial opening of the border.

Alongside talks with Türkiye, Armenian officials say regional peace efforts are opening the door to broader economic cooperation, including with Azerbaijan. Mirzoyan said Armenia is holding discussions with Baku on the possibility of direct trade, noting that such cooperation would become more realistic as the peace process advances and public resistance gradually eases.

“The further we move towards institutionalising peace and overcoming psychological barriers within society, and the more experience we gain through cooperation, the more realistic such scenarios will become,” he said.

Mirzoyan said the purchase of Azerbaijani petrol would be economically beneficial for Armenian consumers, acknowledging calls for a boycott but noting that demand remained strong, with queues reported at some locations.

The foreign minister also said Armenia is preparing to move into the practical phase of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) infrastructure project, which is being developed with U.S. support. He said construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with preparatory documents potentially finalised in the coming weeks.

“We are working very intensively with the American side,” Mirzoyan said, adding that 2026 would include a series of visits by Armenia’s international partners.

Addressing claims that Russia and Iran oppose the project, Mirzoyan rejected those assertions, saying Iran had raised questions about regional infrastructure unblocking that were resolved through dialogue.

“Both Armenia and Iran now see opportunities in the unblocking of infrastructure,” he said.

Mirzoyan reiterated that progress with Türkiye remains a priority, stressing that the time had come for tangible results. “We need concrete results on the ground,” he said, adding that a symbolic step in Armenia–Türkiye relations could be achieved by the end of the year.

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