Armenia to lift embargo on Turkish goods from January

The Armenian government said Thursday it has decided to lift the embargo on Turkish goods from Jan. 1. Armenia originally imposed the blockade after Ankara supported Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict last year.

“A decision was made not to extend the embargo on the import of Turkish goods into the country,” the economy ministry said on Facebook.

Turkey and Armenia announced recently that steps toward normalization are being taken and that charter flights between the two countries would soon resume.

On Dec. 15, Turkey appointed Serdar Kılıç, a former ambassador to the U.S., as its special envoy to discuss steps for normalization with Armenia. Three days later, Armenia appointed its special representative for dialogue with Turkey, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan.

Ankara also announced Moscow will host the first meeting between the two countries’ special envoys, however, no date is yet set.

The borders between the two countries have been closed for decades and diplomatic relations have been on hold.

Armenia and Turkey signed a landmark peace accord in 2009 to restore ties and open their shared border after decades, but the deal was never ratified and ties have remained tense.

Relations between Armenia and Turkey have historically been complicated. Turkey’s position on the events of 1915 is that Armenians lost their lives in eastern Anatolia after some sided with the invading Russians and revolted against the Ottoman forces. The subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in heavy casualties, as massacres carried out by militaries and militia groups from both sides increased the death toll.

Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as “genocide” but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission consisting of historians from Turkey and Armenia and international experts to tackle the issue.

During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ankara supported Baku and accused Yerevan of occupying Azerbaijan’s territories.