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ECONOMIST: NO RESEARCH HAS BEEN HELD IN ARMENIA ON EXPEDIENCY OF THE COUNTRY'S JOINING THE CUSTOMS UNION
by Alexandr Avanesov
ARMINFO
Friday, November 22, 16:26
No serious research has been held in Armenia on expediency of the
country's joining the Customs Union, Doctor of Economics, director
of the analytical center "Alternativa", Tatul Manaseryan, said at
today's press-conference.
Neither the state structures nor any organization studied the
situation, he said and added that at present "Alternativa" has
started studying the issue. He means not only making alterations to
the Customs legislation, not only the damage in the budget revenues,
as at the Armenian border no customs tax will be taken from the goods
produced in the countries of the CU especially in Russia. As for the
social component - healthcare, education and science, their financing
will be decreased in case of Armenia's joining the CU. As for Armenia,
it can offer less list of goods to be exported to the countries of
the CU. The expert said that Armenia is joining the CU not voluntary.
The extension of the markets is a positive factor of Armenia's joining
the CU, the expert said and added this is very much important to
Armenia which has a limited market. Sooner or later Armenia has to
participate in the regional integration, including at the CIS level,
he said.
After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September
3, Armenia's President Sargsyan announced his country's intention
to join the Russia-led Customs Union. Sargsyan stated that such a
decision serves Armenia's interests, primarily from a security point
of view. After Sargsyan's statement, European officials declared
that the EU-Armenia Association Agreement, the initialing of which
had been planned for November, was now "off the table." Although
the EU-Armenia negotiations on the Association Agreement and a Deep
and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) have been ongoing for over
three years and were finalized just six weeks before Sargsyan's visit
to Moscow, the different regulations and tariffs applied by the EU
and the Customs Union make it impossible to conclude agreements with
both free trade zones at the same time.
by Alexandr Avanesov
ARMINFO
Friday, November 22, 16:26
No serious research has been held in Armenia on expediency of the
country's joining the Customs Union, Doctor of Economics, director
of the analytical center "Alternativa", Tatul Manaseryan, said at
today's press-conference.
Neither the state structures nor any organization studied the
situation, he said and added that at present "Alternativa" has
started studying the issue. He means not only making alterations to
the Customs legislation, not only the damage in the budget revenues,
as at the Armenian border no customs tax will be taken from the goods
produced in the countries of the CU especially in Russia. As for the
social component - healthcare, education and science, their financing
will be decreased in case of Armenia's joining the CU. As for Armenia,
it can offer less list of goods to be exported to the countries of
the CU. The expert said that Armenia is joining the CU not voluntary.
The extension of the markets is a positive factor of Armenia's joining
the CU, the expert said and added this is very much important to
Armenia which has a limited market. Sooner or later Armenia has to
participate in the regional integration, including at the CIS level,
he said.
After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September
3, Armenia's President Sargsyan announced his country's intention
to join the Russia-led Customs Union. Sargsyan stated that such a
decision serves Armenia's interests, primarily from a security point
of view. After Sargsyan's statement, European officials declared
that the EU-Armenia Association Agreement, the initialing of which
had been planned for November, was now "off the table." Although
the EU-Armenia negotiations on the Association Agreement and a Deep
and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) have been ongoing for over
three years and were finalized just six weeks before Sargsyan's visit
to Moscow, the different regulations and tariffs applied by the EU
and the Customs Union make it impossible to conclude agreements with
both free trade zones at the same time.