PM: Enormous work has been done towards formation of EAEU single  gas market 

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.