Mirzoyan says EU ready for Armenian goods

PanARMENIAN.Net - Regardless of obstacles created by any country, Armenian products will be exported, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan stated during a government meeting while commenting on Russian restrictions on agricultural imports.

Addressing the issue, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the European Union is willing to accept various categories of products from Armenia, but compliance with standards will become a key issue, Panorama.am reports.

“Therefore, if we are talking, for example, about greenhouse crops, we should support those enterprises that will have production meeting certification requirements.

At the moment, we are working with individual partners to reach agreements on certain customs preferences for imports on their side. I do not want to put the cart before the horse and rush into announcements, but we are holding discussions with our EU partners regarding possible steps on their part concerning customs duties for our producers, and I hope these discussions will soon conclude successfully,” he said.

According to the minister, the goal of the ongoing discussions is to create more favorable conditions for Armenian producers, while concrete announcements will be made at the appropriate stage.

Grigoryan stated that any quality agricultural product produced in Armenia should reach foreign markets regardless of artificial restrictions imposed by individual markets or countries.

The deputy prime minister also noted that Armenia has sufficient fiscal capacity to address the issue regardless of the level of support provided by partner countries.

In his view, the current initiative represents only the first step.

“We will implement a series of measures as necessary, depending on seasonal factors. We can even make decisions through a written procedure as soon as the preparatory work is completed. I believe the same decision should apply to fruits, brandy, wine, and mineral water. Any market where our producers can export should remain open to them; there is no problem,” Grigoryan declared.

At the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana on May 29, the presidents of four EAEU member states — Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan — adopted a statement concerning Armenia. Armenia was urged to hold a referendum as soon as possible on choosing between the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union.

In recent days, Russian officials have also stated that if Armenia continues moving toward the European Union, it may lose access to Russian gas supplied on preferential terms.

In addition, Russia has imposed restrictions on imports of Armenian products. Imports of Jermuk mineral water, flowers, and certain alcoholic beverages from Armenia have been banned. Restrictions have also been introduced on several agricultural products, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. Since June 2, Russia has restricted imports of cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes, and other stone fruits from Armenia, as well as their transit to other EAEU member states. Since June 3, Russia has also restricted imports of eggplants, potatoes, and dried fruits originating from and exported by Armenia.