Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, during a visit to Brazil, gave an interview to the newspaper Correio Braziliense, in which he discussed the ongoing dialogue between Armenia and Turkey.
He emphasized that although no official preconditions have been declared, in practice, Turkey ties the normalization of relations with Armenia to the resolution of its ties with Azerbaijan.
“In this dialogue, neither the Armenian nor Turkish side has presented preconditions. We’ve publicly stated that the main goal of establishing diplomatic relations is the opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey. This border was closed by Turkey 34 years ago,” he stated.
According to Mirzoyan, some progress has been made in the normalization process, evidenced by concrete steps.
“We’ve made certain advances, including the lifting of the air cargo ban and the implementation of direct flights, along with various confidence-building measures. We agreed that, initially, the border could be opened for citizens of third countries and holders of diplomatic passports from Armenia and Turkey. However, this agreement has not yet been implemented,” he noted.
He added that although there are no open preconditions, Turkey’s position clearly reflects coordination with Azerbaijan.
“We hear from Turkish counterparts that they are holding back on fully opening the border with Armenia until Armenia-Azerbaijan relations are fully resolved. While there are no official preconditions, it’s evident that Turkey is linking its normalization with Armenia to Azerbaijan. Yet we believe that opening the Armenia-Turkey border could positively influence Armenia-Azerbaijan relations,” said Mirzoyan.
He stressed the importance of implementing agreements and noted that tangible steps are underway.
“One specific agreement with Turkey is that we’ve started infrastructure work at the border on a bilateral basis. Armenian and Turkish experts are already assessing the state of the Gyumri-Kars railway. These processes are ongoing,” he said.
Mirzoyan also underlined the humanitarian aspect of achieving stability in the South Caucasus.
“We’re convinced that lasting peace in the South Caucasus depends on resolving humanitarian issues, including the fate of missing persons and victims of enforced disappearances. At the same time, Armenian prisoners are still held in Baku, facing staged trials. We believe their immediate release could help foster lasting peace between Armenians and Azerbaijanis,” he said.
He reiterated the importance of addressing the issue of prisoners, again stressing that peace requires resolving such humanitarian concerns.
In Brazil, he also discussed several areas of cooperation.
“Our political dialogue has intensified and will continue dynamically. We cooperate effectively in international platforms, supporting each other’s candidacies in global organizations. We share concerns about the inefficiencies in the international system, especially regarding human rights violations and the prevention and early warning of mass atrocities.
There is growth in our economic and bilateral trade relations. At the same time, we acknowledge untapped potential. We agreed to enhance business ties and explored opportunities for cooperation between Armenian and Brazilian companies. We identified sectors where we can strengthen mutually beneficial ties, particularly in high-tech and IT. There is significant potential, and we have a clear vision of the steps needed to bring our countries closer,” the Foreign Minister concluded.
Turkey’s Presidency Directorate of Communications’ Center for Combating Disinformation issued a statement responding to reports about the border opening, stressing that the border was only opened for humanitarian aid convoys.
