TURKISH DIPLOMAT SUGGESTS ANKARA ESTABLISHING TRADE RELATIONS WITH YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former senior officer of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuksel Soylemez, who is engaged in activity concerned with Armenia, suggested opening a Turkish trade center in Yerevan. According to the information provided by "Arminfo" agency, "Zaman" newspaper being published in Ankara reports this. The diplomat expressed such an opinion when commenting on the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan in Reykjavik. He considered the coming meeting as "a serious and important step towards progress." In his opinion, under the conditions of absence of diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Ankara it is necessary to develop trade relations. "Today the unofficial trade relations with Armenia are realized via Georgia. Why cannot we make the $30-40 million trade ties amount a billion?" - the Turkish diplomat asks. "Starting cooperation with Armenia Turkish "Eximbank" can give credits to small firms," - Yuksel Soylemez noted. In the diplomat's opinion, it will be compensated in full, as it will let reduce the impact of the Armenian diaspora, which annually renders one billion dollar of aid to Armenia. In this regard Soylemez mentioned the example of Taiwan and China, with whom Turkey does not have diplomatic relations, but at the same time trades with them. Proving his proposal the diplomat reminded that within the framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Armenia has already opened such a center in Istanbul.