EU welcomes Armenia-Türkiye direct trade launch

The European Union welcomes the announcement by Türkiye on the initiation of bilateral trade with Armenia, the EU lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anitta Hipper, said in a statement.

“The EU warmly welcomes today’s announcement by Türkiye on initiation of bilateral trade with Armenia. This is a remarkable development in their normalisation process, also illustrated by the recent meeting of the bilateral working group to advance the restoration of rail connections between the two countries on 28 April 2026, which we welcomed. This significant step has the potential to boost trade and economic opportunities between both countries, with a positive impact for the entire South Caucasus as well as the EU. We encourage both countries to continue working together, including towards the re-opening of their bilateral border,” the spokesperson said in the statement on May 13.

On May 13, Türkiye announced the completion of preparations to launch direct trade with Armenia.

The new regulations formalized by Türkiye now enable businesses to engage in direct trade without re-declaring goods, as was done previously.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry welcomed the move, describing it as another outcome of the Armenia–Türkiye normalization process.