There is no reason for Turkey to keep the Armenian border closed, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian said at a Q&A session at the National Assembly.

He reminded that the blockade was imposed because of the status quo in Artsakh, which has now changed through use of force.

As for the joint Azerbaijani-Turkish drills in Kars, he said any military exercise a cause of concern. “On one side we see such manifestations, on the other hand we see different messages coming from Turkey. While it’s accepted practice in diplomacy to speak through messages, I think it’s to proceed from messages to actions,” the Foreign Minister said.

According to him, the new post-war situation poses new challenges, but also opens up new opportunities.

“As a state, as a government and as a society we should strive to deescalate the situation, which will, in turn, contribute to the strengthening of the security environment,” he noted.

Minister Aivazian stressed that the strengthening of the security environment in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh the priority for us has been and remains a priority.