Turkey and Armenia have taken a major stride in settling their historical differences, agreeing on a bureaucratic framework to promote direct trade between the two states.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced May 13 that Ankara had approved streamlined regulations for goods moving to/from Turkey and Armenia via third countries. A ministry statement added that the two states are now working towards reopening their shared border.

“The necessary technical and bureaucratic studies for the opening of the common border between the two countries are still ongoing,” it stated.

Due to historical grievances, Armenia and Turkey have never had diplomatic relations. Their shared border has remained closed since 1993, when Turkey sealed it in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan during the First Karabakh War, which saw Armenian forces secure the disputed Nagorno Karabakh territory, along with broad swathes of Azerbaijan proper. 

Turkish and Armenian officials have been engaged in a process aimed at normalizing relations since 2022. A previous joint initiative to establish diplomatic relations, launched in 2009, eventually stalled.  

Officials in Yerevan applauded the Turkish decision to ease trade rules, describing it as “an important step” in efforts to establish diplomatic relations.  

“This decision is essential from the perspective of expanding trade and business circles between the two countries, boosting economic connectivity in the region, and ensuring peace and prosperity,” read an Armenian Foreign Ministry statement. 

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