Yerevan /Mediamax/. For the first time Turkey agrees to recognize Armenia as a full partner and not only Armenia and Turkey, but the entire region as well, will benefit from this cooperation.

Mediamax reports that Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia (UMBA) Arsen Kazaryan said this at a news conference in Yerevan today.

He noted that Armenian-Turkish protocols are an unprecedented step in bilateral relations.

“Our private entrepreneurs do not limit themselves to the domestic market anymore, and from this point of view they are efficient and aggressive, and opening of the border will allow entering not only the Turkish market, but also the European one”, Arsen Kazaryan stated.

He informed that previously the import of goods from Turkey in a year did not exceed $100mln, after the opening of the border this index will increase at maximum by 15%, since the Turkish goods already occupy their niche in the Armenian market. “And in exchange, we will gain the opportunity to function in the Turkish market with the entry to Europe, at that, the cost of transportation will be reduced by 20-25%”, Arsen Kazaryan stated. 

According to him, UMBA already has serious intentions on realizing joint programs in the sphere of energy, tourism, knitted goods’ industry, cement production, agriculture. Arsen Kazaryan considers healthcare, science and information technologies to be mutually beneficial spheres for cooperation as well.

Head of UMBA invited attention to threats, stressing that from the point of view of national security, there is the necessity to strengthen control at customs points to prevent smuggling of arms and drugs.