Special envoy: No progress in efforts to reopen Armenian-Turkish border

Türkiye’s special envoy for dialogue with Armenia Serdar Kılıc has said that there has been no advancement in the efforts to open the Armenian-Turkish border, despite ongoing diplomatic discussions.

In a recent statement, Kılıc addressed the issue, telling "There has been no progress on this matter." This marks another delay in the long-standing negotiations aimed at improving relations between the two nations, Caliber.Az reports. 

Kılıc further elaborated on the situation, noting that while Türkiye is eager to continue the normalisation process with Armenia, no specific date for future talks has been confirmed. 

"Ankara is in contact with Armenia and intends to develop the process," he said, underscoring that discussions are ongoing but a definitive timeline remains uncertain.

Previously, a diplomatic meeting between the special representatives of Armenia and Türkiye took place during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Armenian Vice President of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan described the meeting as positive, suggesting that both sides remain committed to dialogue despite the lack of tangible progress on the border issue. 

Earlier reports, citing a diplomatic source, suggested that the border checkpoint would officially open on March 1. However, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan later dismissed these claims, stating that no confirmed date had been set. The first discussions about launching the checkpoint took place in July 2024 during a meeting at the border between the special representatives of the two countries - Serdar Kilic of Türkiye and Ruben Rubinyan of Armenia. Since then, the Armenian government has invested nearly $2.5 million in renovating and re-equipping the facility in preparation for potential operations. 

Efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Türkiye have been ongoing. In July 2022, an agreement was reached in Vienna, Austria, allowing third-country nationals travelling between the two nations to cross the Armenian-Turkish land border. The same agreement also outlined steps to facilitate direct air cargo transportation, a process that remains under discussion. While Armenia has completed its technical preparations for reopening the checkpoint, the final decision remains contingent on broader political negotiations between the two countries.

By Naila Huseynova