ArmInfo.On March 23, the decision of the commandant of the state of emergency, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan on the ban on economic activity in Armenia comes into force. The Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Varos Simonyan stated this at a press conference in Yerevan on March 23.
According to him, the restrictions will affect almost all types of economic activity, with the exception of trade objects, pharmacies and agricultural markets. Also, a ban is imposed on the activities of bars, pubs, cinemas, clubs, casinos, sports events. This list does not apply to cafes, games with a win on the Internet, mobile points of sale of drinks. The restrictions will be in effect for the entire period of the state of emergency until April 14, but it is possible that they will be canceled earlier, depending on the development of the situation.
The deputy minister also emphasized that restrictions on cargo transportation with Iran were somewhat relaxed. In particular, it was established that deliveries of medical goods from Armenia to Iran can be made only with the consent of the RA Ministry of Health. For other items, decisions are made by the State Revenue Committee at the Meghri checkpoint or Agarak customs warehouse. In particular, we are talking about such goods supplied from Iran, such as safety glasses, protective suits, diesel fuel, etc. The list of goods allowed for export or import is periodically updated, and it is possible that it will undergo changes again by the end of the week.
As for Georgia, the deputy minister noted that there are no restrictions, but one should keep in mind the tightening of measures on the part of the Georgian side. In particular, the Georgian authorities, when checking goods in transit from countries with high risk, may require a replacement driver and even transfer the goods to another car. In this regard, Varos Simonyan recalled that the Upper Lars checkpoint is open, but there were problems with Armenian cars that had accumulated at the checkpoint before the decision of the Georgian authorities. At present, the deputy minister continued, with the authorities of the neighboring state, negotiations are underway.
The deputy minister said that at the suggestion of Armenia, the Eurasian Economic Commission zeroed the rates of imported medical supplies in the space of the Eurasian Economic Union. This measure will be valid until September 30. The decision will enter into force on the 10th day after the official publication. In turn, Georgia has tightened entry control into the country for heavy trucks, including from Armenia. In particular, Georgia closed the checkpoint for the passage of citizens, leaving only two to function - one on the border with Armenia, the second with Azerbaijan. Crossings for Georgian citizens returning from Armenia and Azerbaijan will operate only at the Sadakhlo checkpoint (Georgian-Armenian border) and the Red Bridge checkpoint (Georgian-Azerbaijani border). Transition will be possible from 10:00 to 18:00. People will not be allowed through other checkpoints; the decision was made by the Interdepartmental Coordination Council, headed by the Prime Minister of Georgia. The restrictions will not affect freight traffic, which can be carried out around the clock through all checkpoints.
