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ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 1, 2014 Thursday 07:15 PM GMT+4
Armenian communists march in Yerevan in support of Customs Union
YEREVAN May 1
- The Communist Party of Armenia was the only public and political
organisation in the country that held a May Day rally in Yerevan on
Thursday under the motto of accession to the Customs Union created by
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
Several hundred people of different age marched through the central
streets of Yerevan towards the Russian Embassy, carrying Soviet-era
flags and placards and chanting "Russia, Russia!"
"We, the participants in a mass demonstration in Yerevan, are
appealing to the peoples of Armenia and Russia, as well as Belarus,
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan requesting for all possible support to the
large-scale integration processes at this critical time," the document
read out at the rally said.
"The upcoming accession of Armenia to the Customs Union is a crucial
solution for the people of our long-suffering republic," the
demonstrators said. "This is the first step towards creating the
Eurasian Union next year."
"In this situation, all efforts towards Armenia's accession to the
Customs Union and its active and full participation in the creation of
the Eurasian Union have the wholehearted support of the overwhelming
majority of people in the country," the communists said.
"Ukraine today is our common anguish. This country has become the
arena of a cynical Americano-European conspiracy that led to a coup in
Kiev and the seizure of power by the neo-Nazi," the appeal said.
The Communist Party's members "stressed the crucial role of
large-scale integration processes in the post-Soviet region" and
expressed their "readiness to facilitate Armenia's accession to the
Customs and Eurasian Unions".
They believe that "this is the only guarantee of military, political
and economic security of the country".
On September 3, 2013, after talks with Russian President Vladimir
Putin, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced that the "Republic
of Armenia will join the Customs Union and will take practical steps
to this end and will subsequently participate in forming the Eurasian
Economic Union".
At their summit in Moscow on December 24, 2013, the presidents of
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia approved an accession roadmap,
which said that the treaty on Armenia's accession to the Customs Union
would be ready by May 2014.
Preliminary results of implementation by Armenia of the roadmap for
accession to the Customs Union were reported to the presidents of the
member states at a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Commission on
March 5, 2014.
"Over the two months that have passed since the December summit, and
we can say that Armenia has made great headway in implementing the
roadmap ahead of schedule. I feel optimistic about the possibility and
ability of Armenia to implement the 260-point roadmap and the amount
of work to be done before admission," Viktor Khristenko, chairman of
the Eurasian Economic Commission's Board, said.
Following Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's resignation, President
Sargsyan said Yerevan would continue the accession process at a new
pace.
Prime Minister Sargsyan said earlier that there were no obstacles to
Armenia's accession to the Customs Union.
"There are no obstacles that could prevent Armenia from becoming a
member of the Customs Union," he said, adding that "most of the work
has been done, and we only have to complete the list of waivers for
900 types of goods that are sensitive for Armenia".
"We have grouped these goods, consulted the private sector and
organised public discussions in order to decide which types of goods,
raw materials and services are important and sensitive for us," the
prime minister said.
"The first most important factor to benefit our business is that
economic entities will get unrestricted access to a large consumer
market," he said. "The quality and degree of processing of our goods
and services are such that our economy is geared to and aimed at this
large market. The creation of new customs regimes will allow our
business to sell these goods and services freely in this large and
strong market."
"This is a powerful stimulus for economic growth," he added.
The second important factor is the simplification of customs
procedures. "The elimination of technical hindrances ... means that
goods and services made in the country will be able to be exported to
the Customs Union member states without additional conditions,"
Sargsyan said.
Membership in the Customs Union will also help attract investments in
Armenia, he said and cited the Russian oil company Rosneft's plans to
invest 400 million U.S. dollars in the republic's economy.
Yet another factor is accessibility of inexpensive resources, Sargsyan
said. He recalled that "three agreements have been signed with Russia,
which guarantee long-term and stable supplies of resources to
companies".
The prime minister believes that "integration processes will help
improve the quality of life in the republic" and hopes that "the free
movement of labour will reduce the risk of emigration [from Armenia]
considerably".
The Customs Union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan was
established on December 19, 2009, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the
leaders of the three states - Dmitry Medvedev, Alexander Lukashenko,
and Nursultan Nazarbayev - signed the Joint Statement on its founding.
The first phase of the Customs Union's functioning began on January 1,
2010, with the introduction of a uniform customs tariff.
The Customs Union's highest bodies are the Interstate Councils of the
heads of states and governments of its members. Its joint permanent
governing body is the Customs Union Commission.
The Customs Union formation envisages creation of a common customs
territory where no customs duties or economic restrictions will apply,
save for special protective, anti-dumping and compensatory measures.
Within the Customs Union, a uniform customs tariff and other uniform
measures regulating the commodity trade with third nations will be
applied.
May 1, 2014 Thursday 07:15 PM GMT+4
Armenian communists march in Yerevan in support of Customs Union
YEREVAN May 1
- The Communist Party of Armenia was the only public and political
organisation in the country that held a May Day rally in Yerevan on
Thursday under the motto of accession to the Customs Union created by
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
Several hundred people of different age marched through the central
streets of Yerevan towards the Russian Embassy, carrying Soviet-era
flags and placards and chanting "Russia, Russia!"
"We, the participants in a mass demonstration in Yerevan, are
appealing to the peoples of Armenia and Russia, as well as Belarus,
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan requesting for all possible support to the
large-scale integration processes at this critical time," the document
read out at the rally said.
"The upcoming accession of Armenia to the Customs Union is a crucial
solution for the people of our long-suffering republic," the
demonstrators said. "This is the first step towards creating the
Eurasian Union next year."
"In this situation, all efforts towards Armenia's accession to the
Customs Union and its active and full participation in the creation of
the Eurasian Union have the wholehearted support of the overwhelming
majority of people in the country," the communists said.
"Ukraine today is our common anguish. This country has become the
arena of a cynical Americano-European conspiracy that led to a coup in
Kiev and the seizure of power by the neo-Nazi," the appeal said.
The Communist Party's members "stressed the crucial role of
large-scale integration processes in the post-Soviet region" and
expressed their "readiness to facilitate Armenia's accession to the
Customs and Eurasian Unions".
They believe that "this is the only guarantee of military, political
and economic security of the country".
On September 3, 2013, after talks with Russian President Vladimir
Putin, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced that the "Republic
of Armenia will join the Customs Union and will take practical steps
to this end and will subsequently participate in forming the Eurasian
Economic Union".
At their summit in Moscow on December 24, 2013, the presidents of
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia approved an accession roadmap,
which said that the treaty on Armenia's accession to the Customs Union
would be ready by May 2014.
Preliminary results of implementation by Armenia of the roadmap for
accession to the Customs Union were reported to the presidents of the
member states at a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Commission on
March 5, 2014.
"Over the two months that have passed since the December summit, and
we can say that Armenia has made great headway in implementing the
roadmap ahead of schedule. I feel optimistic about the possibility and
ability of Armenia to implement the 260-point roadmap and the amount
of work to be done before admission," Viktor Khristenko, chairman of
the Eurasian Economic Commission's Board, said.
Following Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's resignation, President
Sargsyan said Yerevan would continue the accession process at a new
pace.
Prime Minister Sargsyan said earlier that there were no obstacles to
Armenia's accession to the Customs Union.
"There are no obstacles that could prevent Armenia from becoming a
member of the Customs Union," he said, adding that "most of the work
has been done, and we only have to complete the list of waivers for
900 types of goods that are sensitive for Armenia".
"We have grouped these goods, consulted the private sector and
organised public discussions in order to decide which types of goods,
raw materials and services are important and sensitive for us," the
prime minister said.
"The first most important factor to benefit our business is that
economic entities will get unrestricted access to a large consumer
market," he said. "The quality and degree of processing of our goods
and services are such that our economy is geared to and aimed at this
large market. The creation of new customs regimes will allow our
business to sell these goods and services freely in this large and
strong market."
"This is a powerful stimulus for economic growth," he added.
The second important factor is the simplification of customs
procedures. "The elimination of technical hindrances ... means that
goods and services made in the country will be able to be exported to
the Customs Union member states without additional conditions,"
Sargsyan said.
Membership in the Customs Union will also help attract investments in
Armenia, he said and cited the Russian oil company Rosneft's plans to
invest 400 million U.S. dollars in the republic's economy.
Yet another factor is accessibility of inexpensive resources, Sargsyan
said. He recalled that "three agreements have been signed with Russia,
which guarantee long-term and stable supplies of resources to
companies".
The prime minister believes that "integration processes will help
improve the quality of life in the republic" and hopes that "the free
movement of labour will reduce the risk of emigration [from Armenia]
considerably".
The Customs Union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan was
established on December 19, 2009, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the
leaders of the three states - Dmitry Medvedev, Alexander Lukashenko,
and Nursultan Nazarbayev - signed the Joint Statement on its founding.
The first phase of the Customs Union's functioning began on January 1,
2010, with the introduction of a uniform customs tariff.
The Customs Union's highest bodies are the Interstate Councils of the
heads of states and governments of its members. Its joint permanent
governing body is the Customs Union Commission.
The Customs Union formation envisages creation of a common customs
territory where no customs duties or economic restrictions will apply,
save for special protective, anti-dumping and compensatory measures.
Within the Customs Union, a uniform customs tariff and other uniform
measures regulating the commodity trade with third nations will be
applied.