ArmInfo. There are problems regarding the operation of the Meghri Free Economic Zone, as a result of which the Zone is currently idle.
This was announced on December 18 by the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the RA National Assembly on Regional and Eurasian Integration Mikael Melkumyan.
According to him, first of all there are problems with the alienation of land. Currently, the FEZ is located on a small plot of 1.8 hectares, and talking about the possibility of deploying the zone in such small areas is simply not serious. The MP noted that the FEZ is officially registered within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, in the framework of which Belarus received 6 access zones, Kazakhstan - 8 zones, Kyrgyzstan - 1. "It is surprising that quotas and zones are allocated, while the zone is inactive," Melkumyan noted.
Recalling the lawsuit within which illegally alienated land is returned to the state, the lawmaker called on to follow Meghri Mayor's proposal, who offers 50 hectares of land located adjacent to the border in exchange for border land plots. "Nevertheless, nothing has been done so far," the lawmaker stated. In addition, he pointed out the remark of Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan on the need to change the organization of the FEZ, which would attract much more beneficiaries.
Melkumyan also announced the commission's intentions to visit the Iranian section of the free economic zone, spread over 10 thousand hectares, in order to study its features, and make appropriate decisions.
To recall, on September 11 this year RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a government hour in the country's parliament announced the start of the process of returning illegally privatized lands adjacent to the Meghri Free Economic Zone (FEZ) on the Iranian border. According to the prime minister, the Armenian government and the investigating authority did everything in their power to resolve the issue as soon as possible. It is judiciary's turn now, he noted.