Armenia's Ministry of Economy announced a real breakthrough in relations with its neighbor, from whom many no longer expected anything good. From May 11, 2026, direct trade has been officially launched between the two countries. Now businesses can forget about long chains of transshipments and re-registrations through third countries. This means a sharp drop in delivery costs and an acceleration of deliveries many times over, and most importantly, new markets that were previously almost inaccessible.
The department emphasizes: even if goods physically pass through the territory of other states, the country of origin or destination can be safely indicated as "Armenia" or "Turkey" in the documents. This step fully legalizes direct trade and removes the last bureaucratic barriers. According to Ruben Rubinyan, Special Representative for the Normalization of Relations, trade in the customs sense is now direct, without unnecessary intermediaries.
Experts are already predicting an explosive growth in mutual business. Turkish markets are opening up for Armenian entrepreneurs, and Turkish companies are gaining convenient access to Armenian ones. Economists are confident: this is not just a technical change, but a real chance for a new page in the difficult history of the two countries, where business benefits may turn out to be stronger than old contradictions.