ArmInfo. The positive attitude towards Eurasian integration is gradually decreasing. A similar opinion was expressed by Academician of the National Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Social Sciences, Professor Gevorg Poghosyan during a press conference on June 23.
He conditioned his opinion, among other things, by the results of polls, according to which, back in 2018, 79% of respondents positively assessed Armenia's membership in the EAEU, in 2019 their number decreased to 74%, but now about 59-60% of respondents supported the membership in the EAEU. At the same time, Poghosyan noted that this is due to high expectations, and in some cases, low rates of integration, rather than disappointment with the Union.
In this regard, the professor noted that there is a need for concrete actions, for the transition to a proactive integration strategy. Noting that a new world order is being formed today, Poghosyan stressed that the strengthening and expansion of the Eurasian integration process is of particular geopolitical and historical significance.
At the same time, he noted that from an economic point of view, positive results were registered in Armenia with membership in the EAEU. In particular, the academician drew attention to the fact that since joining the Union, export volumes have doubled, almost half of Armenian tourists are citizens of the Russian Federation, 85% of labor migrants from Armenia work in the countries of the Eurasian region, who annually send about $1.8 billion to Armenia, which is 15% of GDP.
Armenia's foreign trade turnover with the EAEU countries for 2022 amounted to $5.3 billion, with a sharp acceleration of growth to 92.7% (from 20.6% in 2021), against the background of a more tangible increase in exports - 2.8-fold (from 2% in 2021) - to $2.5 billion, than imports - by 49% (from 18.5% in 2021) - to $2.8 billion. As a result, the negative balance of Armenia's foreign trade with the EAEU countries decreased in 2022 by 74.5% - up to $247.3 million.
But leadership in terms of foreign trade turnover in general, and in terms of exports and imports in particular, continues to be held by Russia. In particular, the foreign trade turnover between Russia and Armenia reached $5.03 billion in 2022, with a sharp acceleration in y-o-y growth from 20.9% to 91.7%, mainly due to an multifold increase in exports. Thus, the volume of exports of goods from Armenia to Russia significantly accelerated the y-o-y growth from 24.5% to 2.9-fold, which, at a slightly less restrained upward pace, was also observed in the volume of imports of goods from Russia to Armenia - from 19.2% to 46.9%, with the provision of volumes at the level of $2.4 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. In the foreign trade turnover of Armenia, the share of Russia increased year-on-year from 31.3% to 35.6%, against the backdrop of a significant increase in the share in exports from 27.9% to 45 % with a decline in the share in imports from 33.3% to 29.9%.
