ArmInfo. "Given Tehran's intention to diversify the routes of its supplies to Europe, as well as the plans on acquisition of a broader range of Ukrainian agricultural products, our country should more actively be involved in development of the North-South transport route," Ukrainian political expert Oleg Smirnov says in an interview with AnalitikaUA.net.
He thinks that in order to expand the geography of sales of Ukrainian goods, Kyiv should pay special attention to studying and using the transport potential of the South Caucasus countries, particularly, Georgia and Armenia, which are negotiating with Iran regarding transformation of the North-South transport corridor into a route that will link the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea ports. The expert recalls that the relevant arrangements are stipulated in the Ukrainian-Iranian Memorandum signed in March 2016. He thinks Kyiv's participation in the given project will make it possible to use the economic potential of the Ukrainian-Armenian relations and to increase the mutual trade turnover of the two states.
According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, in 2015 the turnover of trade and services between Armenia and Ukraine totaled $130.9 mln, dropping by 38.4% versus 2014. Exports amounted to $6.2 mln, and imports - $124.7 mln. In Jan-June 2016, exports of Armenian goods to Ukraine grew by 67%, while imports declined by 21.7%, with the foreign trade turnover dropping by 18% versus Jan-June 2015.