Armenia Plans Turkish Business Forum Amid Russian Tensions

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced that Armenia will host a business forum for Armenian and Turkish representatives in Yerevan this October. The event follows a successful meeting between business delegations in Kars, Türkiye, and a proposal from the Turkish side to hold a reciprocal forum. Mirzoyan stated that both nations are ready to reopen their shared land border, calling the move a requirement of the times.

Preparations for the border reopening are underway, with State Revenue Committee Chairman Eduard Hakobyan confirming that renovation and modernization work at the Margara border crossing is complete. Armenia and Türkiye have lacked diplomatic relations since 1991 and have kept their border closed since 1993 due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and disputes over 1915 events.

Simultaneously, Mirzoyan addressed deteriorating relations with Russia, specifically citing Russian government decisions to restrict the import of certain Armenian products. While he affirmed that Armenia and Russia remain allies through bilateral defense agreements and the Eurasian Economic Union, he argued that Russian partners should be more interested in Armenia's right to make its own sovereign decisions. Armenia continues to freeze its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization while seeking to avoid further aggravating the situation.