India, Vietnam and other countries take interest in establishment of
free trade zone with CU

13:36, 14 December, 2013

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The door of the Customs Union is
open in front of any country which will be ready to sign under all the
fundamental documents, as well as under those additional documents
which form the foundation of the common economic space with the
CU. `Armenpress’ reports that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov stated it at the course of the
interview given to `Russia-24′ TV company as a response to the
question whether the door of the CU is open in front of Ukraine.

Sergey Lavrov also underscored that the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty
must get ready in May next year `which removes all the restrictions
and will provide complete freedom of goods, capital, and labor force
and service movement’.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also stated
that India, Vietnam and Turkey have offered to launch negotiations
with the CU around the establishment of free trade zone. `The
negotiations between Vietnam and the CU on the establishment of free
trade zone have already commenced. We hope that in case of success,
and for that not bad opportunities exist, they will serve as a model
for the establishment of the negotiations on free trade zone between
the CU and the Association of Southeast Asia countries. At the same
time, negotiations for the establishment of free trade zone are
ongoing with New Zealand, as well as the European Association of free
trade which include Western European countries, in particular,
Switzerland, Norway which are not regarded to be member of the CU.
There is curiosity and it is mutual. I believe it is a promising
work,’ Sergey Lavrov highlighted.

In the result of the negotiations on September 3, 2013 in Moscow the
Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin confirmed the aim of the
Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation in the direction of
further development of economic integration processes in the Eurasian
territory. In that context the President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan announced about the Armenia’s decision to join the
Customs Union and the necessity of implementation corresponding steps
for that aim and in future about participating in formation of the
Eurasian economic union. The President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Putin expressed his support to the abovementioned decision of
Armenia and informed about the readiness of the Russian side to
support the process. Serzh Sargsyan noted that this decision is not
refusal from dialogue with European organizations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress