The re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border fully meets the West’s interests, as it will make Armenia less dependent on Russia and Iran, that the U.S. has failed to achieve for many years despite the great financial assistance to Armenia, Zeyno Baran, Director of the Center for Eurasian Policy and a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, a research centre located in Washington D.C., said in her interview with the TURAN news agency.

The prospective reopening of the Armenian-Turkish border will draw Armenia closer to the West, which will allow the country to have partners other than Russia and Iran. It will enable Armenians and Turks to turn to their past together and try to make their future better, Baran said.

According to her, official Ankara has been and will be taking Azerbaijan’s interests into account in making decisions on all the Caucasus-related issues, including the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.

Baran gave assurances that Armenian-Turkish diplomatic relations would ensure caution on the part of all the regional players and enhance stability and security in the South Caucasus.

Baran said she, as well as many in Turkey, understand Azerbaijan’s concern. However, she does not think Turkey will make a step to the detriment of Azerbaijan’s interests. It is not only because of strategic relations and growing exports of Azerbaijani energy resources through Turkey, but also because of the affinity between the two nations, she said.

She also made an almost straightforward statement that a breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process should be expected soon: after the Armenian-Turkish negotiations, the sides are speaking of the possible reopening of the border by the end of the year. This will enhance the efficiency of negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The present agreement may evidence the sides’ willingness to settle the conflict now than leave it for the future. In the next few months, all the three
Governments (Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan) will be seeking to resolve these most complicated and important problems. It would make the region free of recriminations and mutual threats, Zeyno Baran said.