AZERIS PREFER ARMENIAN COGNAC
Many Armenia products are sold in Baku shops.
According to Azeri "Day.az" informational web-portal, Armenian products have again appeared on the market in Baku. It is said, that in Baku one can freely buy "Ararat" cognac, "Jermuk" mineral water, "Cigaronne" cigarettes and other products. It is also mentioned that non-official relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have never been stopped. At the same time the author notes that state structures do everything possible to stop the import of Armenian products.
The logic of the opponents of the goods with "Made in Armenia" label consists in the following: the buyer of those products supports the replenishment of the budget that funds Armenian army. However, this argument does not quite impress Arzeri businessmen. The import of Armenian products to Azerbaijan increases. According to Azeri mass media, the shadow turnover runs up to 40 million dollars. Besides the mentioned products the shops of Azerbaijan also sell Sevan white-fish, potatoes from Vardenis, Yerevanian shoes, chemicals produced in Vanadzor, bentonite from Ijevan and so on. The electric lamps produced by Armenian "Grand Son" company also used to be very popular in Azerbaijan, let alone the fact that the majority of wedding parties in Baku are accompanied by the recordings of Armenian singer Boka who used to live in Baku.
Jewelries made by Armenian jewelers enjoy popular demand in Azerbaijan. According to "Echo" newspaper, all the fairs and specialized shops openly sell the jewelries of Yerevan Jewelry Factory which is at least proved by the "EU7" sign which is an evidence of Armenian origin. Not long ago local experts made a sensational statement. They suppose that not all the products with "EU7" sign are produced in Armenia. Particularly, Emin Fatullaev, a famous expert-evaluator in Baku, supposes that in reality some part of the jewelries is produced underground in Azerbaijan and the Armenian is put for the product to sell good. It turns out, that Armenian production is trusted even more than that of Azerbaijan.
There are also quite many product of Azeri origin on the Armenian market. Oil-products, tea, air-conditioners, red fish, red and black caviar, fruits and dried fruits are imported from Azerbaijan via Georgia and Iran. Last year when corn prices in Armenia jumped up, 50kg sacks of flour produced in Gyanja and Shamkhor appeared on the Armenian market. But the most striking is that 8 years ago even "Sumgait" washing powders were imported to Armenia. Thus, it is quite obvious that pragmatic Armenian businessmen adhere to the slogan "Business has no boundaries", even in situations when it may be immoral.
But in Baku this subject is treated much more painfully than in Yerevan. The tax ministry conducts regular checkings to find Armenian products and to punish those who sell them. It should be noted that tax authorities withdraw not only goods produced in Armenia, but also those produced at companies belonging to ethnic Armenians. The employees of the tax ministry of Azerbaijan were very proud to stop the import of canned fish produced in Murmansk only because they were signed with "Ararat" brand. The same thing was done with wristwatches purchased from Moscow "Dadlis M" company because the joint owner of the company is someone whose family is Shirinyan.
Of course such sanctions make little changes, especially because those sanctions are illegal. Azeri authorities make attempts to provide legal base to the actions against Armenian import. Last year, under the pressure of the Union of Free Customers, MP Zahid Orouj started working up a bill, which will call to take legal actions against those who sell Armenian products. According to the bill, sellers of Armenian goods will be fined with 5500 manats (1000 US dollars) or even imprisoned for 6-12 months. The initiators of the anti-Armenian propaganda intend to pass a bill in Azeri parliament that will prohibit the import of Armenian products.
OK, let them pass the bill. It will be harmful not for Armenia, but first of all for Azerbaijan. The thing is not only that instead of cheap Armenian shoes, customers will have to buy Turkish shoes of doubtful quality. The consequences may be much more serious, since Azerbaijan strives to enter the World Trade Organization. (Armenia is already a member of that international organization). And if Azeri law-makers, in contrast to Azeri businessmen have such a great disdain for Armenian products they will have to give up the idea of joining the World Trade Organization, because it is an organization that is aims to create a unified market and does not accept any artificial restrictions in trade. Countries that support such restrictions suffer severe economic sanctions from WTO.
Artyom Yerkanyan
Jewelries made by Armenian jewelers enjoy popular demand in Azerbaijan. According to "Echo" newspaper, all the fairs and specialized shops openly sell the jewelries of Yerevan Jewelry Factory which is at least proved by the "EU7" sign which is an evidence of Armenian origin. Not long ago local experts made a sensational statement. They suppose that not all the products with "EU7" sign are produced in Armenia. Particularly, Emin Fatullaev, a famous expert-evaluator in Baku, supposes that in reality some part of the jewelries is produced underground in Azerbaijan and the Armenian is put for the product to sell good. It turns out, that Armenian production is trusted even more than that of Azerbaijan.
There are also quite many product of Azeri origin on the Armenian market. Oil-products, tea, air-conditioners, red fish, red and black caviar, fruits and dried fruits are imported from Azerbaijan via Georgia and Iran. Last year when corn prices in Armenia jumped up, 50kg sacks of flour produced in Gyanja and Shamkhor appeared on the Armenian market. But the most striking is that 8 years ago even "Sumgait" washing powders were imported to Armenia. Thus, it is quite obvious that pragmatic Armenian businessmen adhere to the slogan "Business has no boundaries", even in situations when it may be immoral.
But in Baku this subject is treated much more painfully than in Yerevan. The tax ministry conducts regular checkings to find Armenian products and to punish those who sell them. It should be noted that tax authorities withdraw not only goods produced in Armenia, but also those produced at companies belonging to ethnic Armenians. The employees of the tax ministry of Azerbaijan were very proud to stop the import of canned fish produced in Murmansk only because they were signed with "Ararat" brand. The same thing was done with wristwatches purchased from Moscow "Dadlis M" company because the joint owner of the company is someone whose family is Shirinyan.
Of course such sanctions make little changes, especially because those sanctions are illegal. Azeri authorities make attempts to provide legal base to the actions against Armenian import. Last year, under the pressure of the Union of Free Customers, MP Zahid Orouj started working up a bill, which will call to take legal actions against those who sell Armenian products. According to the bill, sellers of Armenian goods will be fined with 5500 manats (1000 US dollars) or even imprisoned for 6-12 months. The initiators of the anti-Armenian propaganda intend to pass a bill in Azeri parliament that will prohibit the import of Armenian products.
OK, let them pass the bill. It will be harmful not for Armenia, but first of all for Azerbaijan. The thing is not only that instead of cheap Armenian shoes, customers will have to buy Turkish shoes of doubtful quality. The consequences may be much more serious, since Azerbaijan strives to enter the World Trade Organization. (Armenia is already a member of that international organization). And if Azeri law-makers, in contrast to Azeri businessmen have such a great disdain for Armenian products they will have to give up the idea of joining the World Trade Organization, because it is an organization that is aims to create a unified market and does not accept any artificial restrictions in trade. Countries that support such restrictions suffer severe economic sanctions from WTO.
Artyom Yerkanyan
