Khukhashvili: opening of Armenian-Turkish border will affect the whole of Caucasus

Georgian experts and politicians believe that possible opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will affect the whole Caucasus and radically change the political picture of the region.

"Both the Armenian and Turkish societies have rather influential forces opposing the opening of the border, but the stake in the deal is in fact much higher than just bilateral relations. Turkey wants to play its special role in the policy of Southern Caucasus; however, nobody knows the price yet. Georgia should thoroughly think about all its actions concerning this political process," said Giya Khukhashvili, head of the Tbilisi Centre of Public Projects.

At the same time, he believes that from the economic viewpoint these changes will not significantly touch Georgia, since "in figures, the share of Armenian-Turkish economic relations executed via Georgia is very small."

David Darchiashvili, chairman of the Georgian parliamentary committee for European Integration, sticks to the same opinion: "As to Georgia's economic losses from opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, they won't be significant, as for Armenian freights the travel via Poti Port or Adzhar Customs is shorter and cheaper than via Yerevan-Kars."

In his opinion, improved Armenian-Turkish relations will sooner tell positively on political stability in Georgia, as "it will boost economic development."

Azerbaijan, which is in permanent conflict with Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh, quite differently perceives the prospects of restored Armenian-Turkish diplomatic relations. Azerbaijani experts believe that the process of warming up Armenian-Turkish relations will inflict an irreparable loss to old and friendly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan.