"The opening of the border creates some competition, which I think is entirely healthy competition for our economy." RA President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with an "Armenian Reporter" correspondent. At that he noted that concerns in that regard were raised during the first years of Armenia's independence, however, "time showed that they were overstated."

President characterized this as "a complex that small countries with large neighbors suffer from. After all," he said "a potential market with a population of 70 million opens before our producers. I don't even doubt that our entrepreneurs will succeed in that competition."

Touching on the need to protect local producers and especially small businesses, President said it must be a matter for the government's attention. "Many of them have difficulty competing even within our domestic market. In a market economy, the government has leverage through anti-dumping and anti-monopoly laws, and the like, to protect local producers and small and medium businesses. It is a matter of doing the work and doing it right," Prsident stressed adding that he had least concern in that regard.