ARMENIA VOWS TO BOOST COOPERATION WITH EURASEC, BUT ABSTAINS FROM BECOMING MEMBER
ARKA
June 15, 2009
YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. Armenia is interested in boosting
multilateral cooperation with EurAsEc, RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan said.
"With bilateral cooperation developing dynamically, we can establish
new institutes and enroll in them, as well cerate new instruments as
part of EurAsEC, without being its full-fledged member," the premier
said, summing up the Moscow meeting of the EurAsEC Intergovernmental
Council.
He pointed out the Customs Union issue, stressing its importance
for Armenia.
Russian, Kazakh and Belarus prime ministers made a joint statement
on their intention to join WTO as a single customs area. The customs
union is to launch activities on January 1, 2010 when the three states
will implement a uniform customs tariff. On July 1, 2010, a uniform
customs code will enter into force. All integration procedures are
to be completed by mid-2011.
According to the Armenian premier, Armenia’s partners are to pass
a considerable path, as they have made a political statement on
continuing talks with WTO as a union.
He did not rule out revision of customs tariffs as part of EurAsEC and,
if the countries join WTO, the obstacles will be removed.
EurAsEC is an international economic organization aimed at drawing
up common customs borders in between the member states (Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzst an, Russia and Tajikistan). The organization’s
mission is to work out a uniform foreign trade policy, common tariffs
and prices. Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia have monitored EurAsEC in
the past years.