During the meeting, business circles from both countries welcomed the positive environment that has emerged for the launch of direct trade between Armenia and Turkey. Representatives of companies from the food, beverage, bottled water, fruit juice, fruit, tobacco, construction, tourism, floriculture, and other sectors attended the meeting. The participants emphasized the significant potential for commercial cooperation between Armenia and Turkey and exchanged views on future partnership opportunities.
The participants also welcomed the completion of the necessary administrative procedures in Turkey to enable direct trade with Armenia. As is known, under the new arrangement, even if cargo is transported through a third country in transit, shipping documents will be allowed to list “Armenia/Turkey” as the final destination or country of origin. The meeting also highlighted the importance of providing Armenian products with access to the Akhalkalaki–Kars railway line. Participants noted that this would create new opportunities for both bilateral and regional trade.
“An Issue for the Entire Region”
Kadir Bozan, President of the Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “This issue concerns not only Kars, and not only Armenia, but the entire region. I believe that the business representatives present here will help create constructive public opinion on this matter and contribute to the process.”
Saim Özakalın, President of the Erzurum Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), stated that the meeting was not only a platform for bringing together members of the business community but also a very important opportunity to strengthen mutual trust, dialogue, and hopes for a shared future.
Hayk Darbinyan, Adviser to the Armenian Foreign Minister, said that the meeting had become possible thanks to the normalization process and the development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey. He contiued: “Business people should also be prepared for the opening of the borders. I would like to thank you for hosting us here. I am confident that today’s meeting will first allow us to get to know one another better and will become the starting point for future agreements. I hope this will be a meeting that yields positive results.”
The meeting was also attended by Ayşe Uzer, Deputy Director General for the Caucasus and Central Asia at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Uzer said that Turkey and Armenia were witnessing yet another important milestone at a historic juncture in their relations. She stated: “We have made substantial progress in the Turkey–Armenia normalization process. We have taken important steps in transportation, cultural cooperation, education, trade, diplomacy, and legal cooperation. Every step we have taken has brought our countries and peoples closer together. We have begun to experience the ability to trust one another again. In essence, that was precisely the purpose of this process—to establish mutual trust.”
(Armenpress, ANKA)
