Armenia is ready for industrial cooperation within EEU

ArmInfo. "We should leave internal competition aside and focus on export within the Eurasian Economic Union", Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia Hovhannes Azizyan stated when presenting his report on the forum "Armenia- EEU: Prospects of Developing Industrial Cooperation" held in Tsakhkadzor on December 23.

"Our industrial cooperation within the union should be oriented on producing joint export-oriented products and not on protection of domestic markets", he noted. Azizyan stressed that this issue should be more thoroughly discussed on the various platforms of the EEU. "We have capacities and potential for cooperation. We have discussed it with businesses and they are ready to cooperate. As of today we have 127 projects for cooperation, on half of which contacts with partners from the EEU have already been established". According to the Deputy Minister Armenia has high potential for cooperation in footwear industry, high technologies, agriculture and other fields of industrial production.

However currently, there is a big obstacle for exporting to markets of EEU in winter season; related to problems on the only transport road through Upper Lars checkpoint, the traffic on which resumed only 20 days ago. Answering to ArmInfo's question the Deputy Minister noted that the issue may be solved through bilateral dialog between Russia and Georgia. Azizyan informed that negotiations are being held and Armenia assists to speedy solution of the problem. At the same time according to him there is an agreement with the Russian side on increasing passability of the roads on the Upper Lars border checkpoint and relevant work is underway. Iran as transit country and Black Sea may be used as alternative routes for supply of export products on the EEU markets.  To note, the forum was organized by the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia and was attended by the members of EEU Collegium of the EEU member states.  Round tables were held within the forum, during which the sides discussed issues of cooperation in industrial sector, prospects of implementation of the export policy and cooperation on Eurasian platforms.