BAKU CONCERNED OVER ANKARA AND YEREVAN RAPPROCHEMENT RATE

Azeri authorities are seriously concerned over the rate of rapprochement of Ankara and Yerevan positions. As reported by “Arminfo” agency, a senior official of the Azeri foreign ministry told “Central Asian News” edition. According to the source, a number of observers explain the Baku unease that in case of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations the Azeri party will not manage to solve the Nagorno Karabakh problem on its own. As written by the newspaper, rumor on Ankara intention to lift the economic blockade of Armenia gave occasion to statements of a number of senior Azeri officials that Baku will take the repeal of sanctions against Yerevan as betrayal by Turkey. However, such statements will hardly convince Turkish diplomats of the counter, the newspaper writes. As it is known, the Armenian diaspora has strong positions in the key European Union countries, e.g., in France and Germany. Ankara supposes, not without good reason, that normalization of relations with Armenia will be kind of a permit to the European Union. According to the source, there is another reason for Turkey to lift the blockade against neighboring Armenia and establish closer economic relations. The matter is that large Turkish cities, such as Kars and Van, cannot develop normally without trade. It is a question of not only trade with Armenia, but also with Russia. According to the data available, the issue had been on the agenda of the ministry of economy of Turkey many times, but its solution was each time postponed due to political considerations. Now there are all grounds for the assumption that Ankara may lift the blockade and establish close ties with Yerevan in the near future, the newspaper summarizes.