Yerevan expecting open borders with Turkey, Azerbaijan by 2030 - Armenian Foreign Ministry

BAKU. June 23 (Interfax) - Armenia is expecting that borders and transport routes with Turkey and Azerbaijan will reopen by 2030, which will turn the South Caucasus into a key link between Europe and Central Asia, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said in Brussels.

"Our vision is that by 2030 we will have open links and open borders with two of our neighbors with whom, unfortunately, the borders are still closed - Turkey and Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani news agency Report quoted Kostanyan as saying.

He said he believes that the routes may reopen earlier, since Yerevan keeps working on regional transport projects and sees a signs of greater openness of its neighbors.

Armenia and its U.S. partners are finalizing legal preparations for launching the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which can reshape the transport map of the South Caucasus and expand connection between Europe and Central Asia. The project's feasibility study is being prepared at the same time with the primary focus on the railway component, he said.

In addition, Armenia is cooperating with the European Union on upgrading transport infrastructure, including construction of new border checkpoints and development of motorways to increase the future transit, he said.

The instability of traditional trade routes and disruptions of global logistic chains increase the significance of the Middle Corridor and create new opportunities for regional countries, Kostanyan said.

He mentioned Azerbaijan's declarations of the readiness to resume railway transportation of Armenian cargo, and the recent signals from Turkey regarding the possibility of Armenian goods' transit across the Turkish territory.

The development of transport connectivity boosts trade and enhances stability in the South Caucasus owing to the increase in economic interdependence of countries of the region, Kostanyan said.

Armenia plans to ensure uninterrupted transit of cargo through its part of the Middle Corridor, which requires further development of digital solutions and legal regulations with the EU's assistance, he said.