ArmInfo.There are still laws in member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union that contradict the letter and spirit of the treaty establishing the Union. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during the government hour in the RA National Assembly on February 8.
He noted that one of the main problems in the EAEU is the continuation of the practice of applying barriers and obstacles. Various bodies of the Union are involved in removing such obstacles. Pashinyan noted that the issue of forming a single gas market continues to be on the agenda of the EAEU, and a lot of work has been done in this direction. <But there are still nuances that require solutions. Our vision is that it is necessary to continue discussions until these issues are resolved," the head of the Armenian government noted.
He noted that the Armenian side has precisely fulfilled all its obligations to remove obstacles. As the Prime Minister noted, Armenia has only one land road towards the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union- this is the road through the "Upper Lars" checkpoint with all its known problems. Pashinyan said that the Georgian partners announced the construction of a tunnel, thanks to which the problem would be largely resolved. "But it is clear to everyone that the opening of the Armenia- Azerbaijan-Russia railway and road links will significantly increase the volume of trade with the countries of the Union," the Prime Minister said, adding that Armenia is ready and interested in implementing paragraph 9 of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020.
"We have been in a blockade for 30 years, and no one is more interested in unblocking the transport communications of the region than we are. No one else, including Azerbaijan and Turkey, needs this, because they have alternative roads. Another issue is that they are trying to impose a more expensive price on us to achieve this goal. We insist on the precise implementation of the provisions of the tripartite statement. Not so long ago, the President of Azerbaijan himself stated that paragraph 9 does not contain the "corridor" formulation, it was he himself who put it into circulation. I think that says it all," Pashinyan said.
It should be noted that on February 3, speaking at the Intergovernmental Council of the EAEU in Almaty, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia noted that "despite the geopolitical tension, mutual trade in the Union continues to demonstrate positive dynamics. The trade turnover between Armenia and the EAEU states in January-November 2022 increased by more than 90% compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to 4.6 billion US dollars. At the same time, import by country of origin of goods increased by more than 50%. Dear colleagues, For the further development of the Union, we need to continue systematic and consistent work based on a solid foundation of internal capacities and resources aimed at ensuring economic development, increasing the competitiveness of national economies and the well-being of our citizens. To achieve these goals, it is important to create favorable conditions for business, to work on eliminating barriers, to increase cooperation in the field of entrepreneurship. Of course, measures aimed at supporting producers at all stages of production still have a decisive role," he noted.
