Special Representative for the Turkey-Armenia settlement process, Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, Deputy Head of the Caucasus and Central Asia Department of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Ayşe Uzer, and Foreign Ministry representatives Arif Ekmekçi and Önder Akgün received in Ankara Kadir Bozan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chairperson of the Board İdris Acay, and members of the Board of Directors.
The main agenda item of the meeting was the opening of the 'Eastern Gate' border crossing in the Akyaka district of Kars, the significance of this process for the people of Kars, and the possible socio-economic consequences of the opening of the crossing on the region.
Serdar Kılıç, presenting the process in detail, considered it important for the region and the country.
Kadir Bozan noted in his speech: “We are closely following the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Armenia settlement process and believe that after the resolution of the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Armenia issues and the implementation of the settlement, the opening of the 'Eastern Gate' border checkpoint will contribute to the economic and social development not only of Kars, but also of the peoples of the region. The opening of the border gate will increase Kars’ trade turnover, strengthen employment in the region and give a great impetus to our economy. This important development will simultaneously strengthen Kars’ regional ties and promote international cooperation.”
He said that the Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry has always supported such steps encouraging regional cooperation and economic development, and also expressed hope that the meeting will open an important path for the future of Kars.
