FM: Armenia to continue negotiations with Turkey

Turkey has informed Armenia about its decision to lift the ban on cargo shipments by air, effective immediately, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan told Sputnik on Friday.

Turkish news channel Haberturk cited Turkish diplomatic sources as saying earlier in the day that cargo traffic between the two neighboring nations had been made possible starting January 1.

"Turkey has informed Armenia about the end to the ban on airborne cargo shipments," he said.

"We positively assess Turkey’s step on lifting the direct air cargo transport ban. Like before, Armenia will constructively continue negotiations for the swift implementation of the other agreement reached by the special representatives on July 1 - ensuring the possibility of land border crossing for citizens of third countries, as well as for the full normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, i.e., establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and opening of the Armenian-Turkish border,” Hunanyan said.

The move follows an agreement that Armenian and Turkish negotiators made in July during normalization talks. Hunanyan said Armenia expected that third country nationals would be next allowed to cross the land border with Turkey.