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BENEFIT FROM OPENING OF BORDERS WITH TURKEY INADEQUATE TO POSSIBLE
POLITICAL CONCESSIONS
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. The real benefit from saving funds for
transport expenses in case of opening of the borders with Turkey will
be inadequate to possible political concessions on the part of Armenia
to that country. Head of the economic bloc of the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC), the former minister of
economy of Armenia, Armen Yeghiazaryan, made this statement speaking
at a seminar "Turkey in New Geopolitical Situation: Expectations in
Armenia" organized by the Center for Strategic Analysis SPECTRUM.
Speaking of a short-term effect from the borders' opening, the expert
thinks it maybe from transition of the railway traffic of Armenia from
the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Calculations show that it will
save some 400-500 USD for transportation of one container. That is,
the expert dwells on, if transportation of a container from Batumi
to Marseilles costs $680 USD and some $1,000 USD back, from Beirut
or the Turkish Mersin this container would be transported for only
$100-150 USD. As regards the land transportation, so there is no
much difference in the cost between the current Georgian way and the
supposed Turkish one. The whole savings will be from the transportation
by the sea. AEPLAC experts' calculations on international methods
show that Armenia could save only some $20 mln taking into account
its current foreign commodity turnover. Turkey will have no shorterm
prospects, as the commodity turnover between the two states is only
$2 mln, Yeghiazaryan thinks. Some benefit is possible for the regions
bordering with Armenia wherein the living conditions of the population
is low enough. Meanwhile, Georgia may lose part of the Armenian
traffic and even part of the Azerbaijani traffic if the roads open.
In this connection, Yeghiazaryan disagrees with the opinion that the
issue of opening of transport communications is crucial for Armenia.
"I share the opinion of our foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan that we
can easily live without these roads. Of course, opening of the road is
a positive phenomenon, but it does not worth political concessions,"
the expert thinks.
POLITICAL CONCESSIONS
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. The real benefit from saving funds for
transport expenses in case of opening of the borders with Turkey will
be inadequate to possible political concessions on the part of Armenia
to that country. Head of the economic bloc of the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC), the former minister of
economy of Armenia, Armen Yeghiazaryan, made this statement speaking
at a seminar "Turkey in New Geopolitical Situation: Expectations in
Armenia" organized by the Center for Strategic Analysis SPECTRUM.
Speaking of a short-term effect from the borders' opening, the expert
thinks it maybe from transition of the railway traffic of Armenia from
the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Calculations show that it will
save some 400-500 USD for transportation of one container. That is,
the expert dwells on, if transportation of a container from Batumi
to Marseilles costs $680 USD and some $1,000 USD back, from Beirut
or the Turkish Mersin this container would be transported for only
$100-150 USD. As regards the land transportation, so there is no
much difference in the cost between the current Georgian way and the
supposed Turkish one. The whole savings will be from the transportation
by the sea. AEPLAC experts' calculations on international methods
show that Armenia could save only some $20 mln taking into account
its current foreign commodity turnover. Turkey will have no shorterm
prospects, as the commodity turnover between the two states is only
$2 mln, Yeghiazaryan thinks. Some benefit is possible for the regions
bordering with Armenia wherein the living conditions of the population
is low enough. Meanwhile, Georgia may lose part of the Armenian
traffic and even part of the Azerbaijani traffic if the roads open.
In this connection, Yeghiazaryan disagrees with the opinion that the
issue of opening of transport communications is crucial for Armenia.
"I share the opinion of our foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan that we
can easily live without these roads. Of course, opening of the road is
a positive phenomenon, but it does not worth political concessions,"
the expert thinks.