Armenia gets money, safety, Karabakh status quo in EEU accession: media

PanARMENIAN.Net - Integration of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kirghizia in the Eurasian Union will cost Russia $5,2 billion in annual expenditures, Gazeta.ru said.

According to the online newspaper, Armenia managed to benefit from its tactic of delaying accession to the Union, gaining a right to 1,13% of total customs duties from the import of goods to the Eurasian Economic Union territory. The country was also given right to establish own rates (different from EEU-set ones) for a number of goods.

As a member of EEU, Armenia will seek reduction of gas tariffs from $270 to $180 per 1000 cubic meters. (In reality, the cost of the gas at the border with Armenia is $189 per 1000 cubic meters – Editor.) And most importantly, the country will be getting safety guarantees in a protracted conflict with Azerbaijan and preservation of status quo for Nagorno Karabakh.

Belarus was able to win a long dispute with Moscow over the oil product duties to gain additional $1,5 billion into the budget.

Kazakhstan has so far been a losing party in the Customs Union accession deal, with the country’s exports dropping 4% ($7 billion).

Moscow will allocate $1 billion for Kirghizia’s accession to the EEU.