Armenia: Optimism, Progress After Gul Visit

Following his landmark visit to watch the historic Armenia-Turkey World Cup qualifying football match in Yerevan, RFE/RL reports that Turkish President Abdullah Gul is optimistic with regards to finding a solution to the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. The statement comes after visiting Azerbaijan. Gul is quoted as saying that there is “an honest and sincere desire for a settlement” from both Baku and Yerevan.

“I am coming back with feelings of great content and optimism,” Gul said, adding that the conflict between Georgia and Russia had triggered a new desire to resolve outstanding problems in the Caucasus.

Turkey wants progress in ending Nagorno-Karabakh tensions between Azerbaijan, one of its closest allies, and traditional foe Armenia, which would allow Ankara to take bolder steps in its reconciliation bid with Yerevan.

Meanwhile, after news that the railway line between Gyumri and Kars is being prepared for possible communication links between the two countries which have no official diplomatic relations or an open border, RFE/RL also confirms reports that Armenia is now set to export electricity to Turkey in a sign of increasing cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian told RFE/RL on Thursday that an agreement on that had been reached “at the high level” and that he expects no “political obstacles” to the project that he says will be of a long-term nature.

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Minister Movsisian said Armenia’s energy infrastructure is mostly ready to start supplying electricity to Turkey but added that some work still needs to be done by the Turkish party before the deliveries can begin.

“The lines on our side are mainly ready. We only have to do an overall check. The Turkish party has asked for four months to complete their part of the work, after which we will start electricity supplies for a few days experimentally and then on a regular basis,” Movsisian said, adding that electricity supplies are expected to be on a year-round basis rather than have a seasonal nature.

“It is a long-term and quite a serious program,” Movsisian said. “I can not say what part of Turkey will the imported electricity be used for, but since Turkey experiences a shortage of electricity, the volume of supply will be quite sizable, and I think it will tremendously ease their problems.”

According to Movsisian, the price of supplied electricity will be economically effective and will depend on thermal energy and gas prices. According to current estimates, it may make 5.7 cents per kilowatt.

PanArmenian.Net also quotes Turkish sources that the Armenia-Turkish border might be opened for the supply of humanitarian aid. If that happens, such a move will perhaps be seen by many as the first step to completely opening the border.