Papoyan on Grain Transported from Azerbaijan to Armenia

It is illogical to say that by opening our country’s borders we become dependent on Azerbaijan, said Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan during a broadcast on Public Television, addressing statements made by the opposition.

“If the closed border is such a good thing, I apologize, let’s close both borders then. This is absurd. Azerbaijan and Turkey closed their borders with Armenia to prevent its economic development, so they could address their own issues. This is related to our diversification, policy, and strategy. What we are saying now is that we should not be dependent on one thick rope from the world but conditional, on a hundred thinner ropes,” the minister stated.

According to Papoyan, the grain transported through Azerbaijan to Armenia is the first swallow. “1,000 tons of Russian and 1,000 tons of Kazakh wheat have been purchased by a private entity. This is not a state procurement. The individual transferred the money to Russia and Kazakhstan, loaded their wheat there, and it arrives in Armenia,” Papoyan noted.