YEREVAN. – A customs border with the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) may be beneficial for Armenia. 

Chairman Gagik Makaryan of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia stated the aforesaid during a press conference on Monday. He commented on the likely results of Armenia joining the customs Union.

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union.   

“Some say Armenia’s objective is to also take Karabakh to the Customs Union. But the matter should be look at from a different angle. If it is recognized at the international level that there is border between Karabakh and Armenia, this means Karabakh is not a part of Armenia, but rather [that] of another unit; but not necessarily [that] of a unit within Azerbaijan. This must be played with very skillfully,” Makaryan noted.

In his view, if the lands contiguous to NKR must be returned to Azerbaijan, this should be carried out for solely a very high economic value, which would help Karabakh regulate free trade and bring new revenues to the region.

“This will be beneficial not only for Armenia, but for the entire region,” Gagik Makaryan added.  

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am