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ARMENIA WON'T INK CU ACCESSION DEAL APRIL 29, OFFICIAL CORRECTS HIMSELF
April 18, 2014 - 16:41 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A deal on Armenia's accession to the Russia-led
Customs Union will be signed upon completion of talks for preservation
of customs duties for a number of imported goods, acting economy
minister said.
As Vahram Avanesyan told journalists on April 18, he agreement won't
be signed on April 29.
"Armenia will sign the agreement to formally join the Customs Union
of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on April 29," the acting economy
minister Vahram Avanesyan said April 17 adding that negotiations
are in progress over the number of goods for which Armenia seeks to
continue levying its current, lower customs duties.
Avanesyan noted that the agreement will be signed at the meeting of
the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of states.
According to the official, is not clear now whether the negotiations
would be accomplished by that time. Asked how the agreement could be
signed without completion of the talks he said it was a usual practice:
"any talks have the date of completion and that of signing of papers,"
he said.
Avanesyan stopped short of disclosing the details of the talks on
customs duties for Armenia, noting that only a few unresolved issues
remain.
Armenia implemented 70% of the activities stipulated by the Customs
Union accession roadmap, a presidential statement said in late March.
According to the address of Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan to
participants of the Armenia-CU conference, close cooperation with
the Eurasian Economic Commission and relevant structures in Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan promoted progress in Armenia's accession
activities, to be followed by signing of an international legal deal.
In his address, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev welcomed
the already perceptible success that the Customs Union and Unified
Economic Space members achieved in their work. He also hailed Armenia's
progress in implementation of the CU accession roadmap, according to
Armenia Today.
He further noted a stable global tendency for regional integration
projects to facilitate economic growth and secure investments,
expressing hope for the integration to strengthen Armenian-Russian
ties.
At the conference, then Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan outlined
challenges of Armenia's CU accession.
"Armenia is a member of the World Trade Organization, with customs
fees instituted in the WTO space thrice as low as those in the CU
area. This means that the CU accession will negatively affect business
entities importing goods from third countries. On the other hand,
local manufacturers might benefit from the step, in having their
rights protected and investments boosted."
As he further noted, the expected increase in customs fees might
force Armenia to give preference to services and products offered by
the CU states, with the difficulties that the importers of goods from
third countries could face to be discussed.
According to Sargsyan, by joining WTO, Armenia assumed certain
obligations which should be revised in the light of its CU accession
and change in customs fees, with the negotiations to be launched on
the subject.
"Armenia will complete all steps envisaged in the Customs Union
accession road map in mid-April, will the CU accession deal currently
in the works," Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said on
March 1.
As Kocharyan told a news conference, once the text of the deal is
coordinated with the CU member states, it will be submitted for
parliamentary ratification.
A draft resolution on Armenia's accession to the Customs Union and
unified economic zone was approved at the Minsk-hosted Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council meeting Dec 24. On Jan 23, Armenian government has
approved the list of measures for joining the Customs Union.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/178117/
April 18, 2014 - 16:41 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A deal on Armenia's accession to the Russia-led
Customs Union will be signed upon completion of talks for preservation
of customs duties for a number of imported goods, acting economy
minister said.
As Vahram Avanesyan told journalists on April 18, he agreement won't
be signed on April 29.
"Armenia will sign the agreement to formally join the Customs Union
of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on April 29," the acting economy
minister Vahram Avanesyan said April 17 adding that negotiations
are in progress over the number of goods for which Armenia seeks to
continue levying its current, lower customs duties.
Avanesyan noted that the agreement will be signed at the meeting of
the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of states.
According to the official, is not clear now whether the negotiations
would be accomplished by that time. Asked how the agreement could be
signed without completion of the talks he said it was a usual practice:
"any talks have the date of completion and that of signing of papers,"
he said.
Avanesyan stopped short of disclosing the details of the talks on
customs duties for Armenia, noting that only a few unresolved issues
remain.
Armenia implemented 70% of the activities stipulated by the Customs
Union accession roadmap, a presidential statement said in late March.
According to the address of Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan to
participants of the Armenia-CU conference, close cooperation with
the Eurasian Economic Commission and relevant structures in Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan promoted progress in Armenia's accession
activities, to be followed by signing of an international legal deal.
In his address, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev welcomed
the already perceptible success that the Customs Union and Unified
Economic Space members achieved in their work. He also hailed Armenia's
progress in implementation of the CU accession roadmap, according to
Armenia Today.
He further noted a stable global tendency for regional integration
projects to facilitate economic growth and secure investments,
expressing hope for the integration to strengthen Armenian-Russian
ties.
At the conference, then Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan outlined
challenges of Armenia's CU accession.
"Armenia is a member of the World Trade Organization, with customs
fees instituted in the WTO space thrice as low as those in the CU
area. This means that the CU accession will negatively affect business
entities importing goods from third countries. On the other hand,
local manufacturers might benefit from the step, in having their
rights protected and investments boosted."
As he further noted, the expected increase in customs fees might
force Armenia to give preference to services and products offered by
the CU states, with the difficulties that the importers of goods from
third countries could face to be discussed.
According to Sargsyan, by joining WTO, Armenia assumed certain
obligations which should be revised in the light of its CU accession
and change in customs fees, with the negotiations to be launched on
the subject.
"Armenia will complete all steps envisaged in the Customs Union
accession road map in mid-April, will the CU accession deal currently
in the works," Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said on
March 1.
As Kocharyan told a news conference, once the text of the deal is
coordinated with the CU member states, it will be submitted for
parliamentary ratification.
A draft resolution on Armenia's accession to the Customs Union and
unified economic zone was approved at the Minsk-hosted Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council meeting Dec 24. On Jan 23, Armenian government has
approved the list of measures for joining the Customs Union.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/178117/