Yerevan says border with Türkiye won’t open before Armenia-Azerbaijan deal

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has no information on specific timelines for opening the Armenia-Türkiye land border to third-country citizens or holders of diplomatic passports. 

In response to media inquiries, the Ministry shared a link to the latest interview with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

During the interview, Mirzoyan said that Yerevan maintains a substantive and dynamic dialogue with Türkiye, both at the official diplomatic level and behind closed doors.

He added that the Turkish side has indicated: “We have no problems, we want and are ready to open the borders and establish relations, but this must happen after the signing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement.”

In July 2022, Armenia and Türkiye agreed to open the border for third-country citizens and diplomatic passport holders as part of normalisation talks facilitated by special envoys. These discussions aim to establish diplomatic relations and resolve longstanding disputes, including those tied to the Armenian Genocide, which Türkiye denies. However, progress has been slow, with Türkiye linking border reopening to a comprehensive Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement.

By Khagan Isayev