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Armenia sees no reason for delays in opening borders and establishing diplomatic relations with Türkiye, a senior Armenian official said ahead of crucial normalization talks between the two countries' envoys scheduled for Wednesday.
Ruben Rubinyan, Armenia's special representative for normalization with Türkiye and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, told journalists during a briefing on Monday that Armenia is ready to open borders and establish diplomatic ties "as early as tomorrow."
The Turkish delegation, led by Ambassador Serdar Kilic, will travel to Armenia on Wednesday through the Alican Border Gate, marking a significant milestone in efforts to normalize relations after decades of closed borders, according to Turkish diplomatic sources speaking on Sunday.
Rubinyan is scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart in Armenia in the coming days. While he did not disclose the exact location of the talks, he stressed the agenda would cover "the full spectrum of normalization issues."
"I see no reason why Türkiye should delay this issue. At least on the Armenian side, there is no obstacle or hesitation. We are ready to have open borders and established diplomatic relations as early as tomorrow," Rubinyan emphasized during the briefing.
The Armenian envoy dismissed suggestions that Türkiye had raised new conditions in recent rounds of talks, reaffirming that the normalization process continues without preconditions from either side.
"We have repeatedly stated that the process is proceeding without preconditions. We also have no preconditions from our side and believe it is possible to very quickly achieve open borders and established diplomatic relations. We will continue working in that direction," Rubinyan said.
He expressed confidence that political will exists on both sides to move forward rapidly.
"On our side, that will definitely exists, and I am convinced that great results can be achieved in a short time," he added.
The border between Türkiye and Armenia has been closed since 1993, and the two countries have had no diplomatic relations due to disputes over the Karabakh conflict and historical issues.
Rubinyan confirmed that an earlier agreement allowing third-country nationals and diplomatic passport holders to cross the Armenia-Türkiye border has not yet been implemented.
"Whether it was due to us or not, it still hasn't been carried out. But we hope it will be realized," he said.
The Armenian official also referenced the recent establishment of diplomatic relations with Pakistan, calling it "a very significant event" and expressing hope for "a similar step with Türkiye."
When asked whether the recently signed Washington agreements and Washington Declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan could serve as an impetus for progress with Türkiye, Rubinyan expressed optimism.
"These are very important developments. They will have a positive impact not only on regional processes but also beyond the region. In this sense, we are optimistic that concrete steps will follow," he concluded.
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