HRANT BAGRATYAN SEES THREATS IN CIS FREE TRADE AREA AGREEMENT

Mediamax
Sept 3 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The CIS Free Trade Area Agreement is in fact the
basis for the future Customs Union, former Armenian Prime Minister
Hrant Bagratyan said.

Armenia signed the CIS Free Trade Area Agreement on 18 October 2011
together with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan and Moldova. It will be submitted to the Armenian National
Assembly for ratification in September.

“In accord with the agreement, Armenia enters a free trade zone with
CIS states, applying customs duties only on imported cigarettes.

Meanwhile, we see that Ukraine and Russia have hundreds of such
exceptions for the import of which duties still can be imposed during
the first year of the agreement. As far as the CIS Free Trade Area
Agreement is the basis for the future Customs Union, Armenia should
also apply these customs duties. As a result, we should impose customs
duties while importing petrol and diesel fuel which will lead to the
growth of prices,” Hrant Bagratyan said.

It should be recalled that Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has
frequently stated Armenia cannot join the Customs Union with Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan since it doesn’t have land borders with them.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress