To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Turkey on the closure of its border with Armenia. (175499)

The Government have raised this issue at various levels with members of the Turkish Government and we continue to call for steps to be taken towards the normalisation of Turkey's relations with Armenia. Furthermore, we continue to encourage both the Governments of Armenia and Turkey to look to the future and build a better relationship between their countries.

In preparing for EU accession, Turkey must have demonstrated its commitment to good neighbourly relations and have undertaken to resolve outstanding border disputes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the people of Armenia of the closure of its border with Turkey. (175500)

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1992 as a consequence of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh. The closure of the border has inevitably inhibited the economic development of Armenia by limiting trade prospects. An open border between Turkey and Armenia is desirable and would bring benefits for both countries. We hope that the political situation in the region develops in such a way as to allow this. We encourage the Governments of Armenia and Turkey to look to the future and build a better relationship between their countries. In the meantime, we will continue to work for peace, security and mutual understanding in the region.