Some of our neighbors do not decline from the policy of economic blackmail, to this day. 

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who is on a working visit to the US, on Wednesday said the aforementioned during his lecture delivered at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

He added that the present-day dividing lines in this region are the consequence of this economic blackmail, and that the Armenia-Turkey border is the last still-closed state border of Europe.

“Considering the fact that Turkey is a member in NATO and the Customs Union of the European Union, it means the border of Armenia, which develops an effective partnership with these two organizations, is closed,” the Armenian President stressed. “Economic diplomacy cannot be a tool for political blackmail. Economic diplomacy is a tool for development, a tool for cooperation, integration. Economic cooperation, especially in conflict zones, is among the best opportunities for confidence-building, which is the shortest road leading to peace.”