Wednesday, September 6 2017 15:35

ArmInfo. Since the establishment of the Lithuanian Embassy in the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian exports to the Armenian market have increased 20-fold over the past 18 years. On September 5, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Armenia Erikas Petrikas told ArmInfo correspondent on the margins of a working visit to the Gorayk community.  "We started with 1 million euros a year, and now this figure has reached 22 million euros. Based on the results of the first half of 2017, the volume of exports exceeded 13 million euros, therefore, at the end of the year, we will again increase the volumes of deliveries a year ago. Armenia is the only country in the post-Soviet space with which Lithuania's exports are dynamically and continuously growing. None of the other countries recorded such positive dynamics, "the Ambassador said. At the same time, E. Petrikas noted Lithuania's interest in the newly created free trade zone with Iran in Meghri, which will open new prospects for cooperation with Iran through Lithuanian entrepreneurs through Armenia.

In particular, the Ambassador positively assessed the forthcoming signing of the agreement on an expanded and comprehensive partnership with the European Union, noting that the new format of cooperation with the EU does not contradict RA membership in  EEU. "In 2013, as a new ambassador, I really wanted Armenia to sign an association agreement with the EU in Vilnius at the summit. But we fully understand and respect Armenia's decision, "he stressed. According to the estimates of the Lithuanian diplomat, with the signing of a framework agreement with EU this autumn, a new history of cooperation between the European Union and the RA will open, which, in particular, will be connected with the 500 million market and the increase of European investments in the Armenian economy. At the same time, he noted that Europe is also interested in deepening cooperation with Armenia, in view of the apparent prospects for establishing relations with Iran.

Meanwhile, according to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Lithuania in 2016 was $ 7.3 million, with an annual growth of 18%. At the same time, exports increased by 36.7% to $ 3 million, with imports growing by 7.6% to $ 4.3 million. In Q1  2017, the volume of trade between Armenia and Lithuania totaled $ 4.1 million, with annual growth of 29.4%. In particular, exports decreased by 34.9%, with imports doubling to $ 3 million.