Armenia in favor of expanding the use of national currencies within EEU: PM

Armenia also in favor of de-dollarization in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Grodno, BelTA reports.

According to the Prime Minister, Armenia endorses the draft documents that cover different areas of cooperation in the EEU. “We fully support the steps to strengthen and expand the industrial cooperation. Our countries have potential for efficient collaboration,” he said.

Hovik Abrahamyan also backed the earlier reached agreements on the regulation of the financial market. “The EEU needs measures to expand the use of national currencies in mutual transactions and reduce dollarization. Sharing the experience in the implementation of the coordinated macroeconomic policy is of utmost importance as well. In this respect the Russian ruble should be made an anchor currency in the mutual strategic trade in the EEU,” the Armenian Premier believes.

Close cooperation with the European Union is equally important, he added. “Keeping in mind our rich experience of negotiations in the trade and economic cooperation with the European Union, we are ready to assist the Eurasian Economic Commission in establishing such a dialogue and, if necessary, take the corresponding commitments of a negotiator in certain issues,” the Prime Minister said. Such cooperation should be based on the principle of mutually beneficial development of integration processes aimed at securing free movement of goods, workforce, services and capital.

The Prime Minister also informed the meeting participants that Armenia is ready for the fulfillment of all the commitments it has undertaken and for the active cooperation with partners in the EEU. “The Armenian side will soon present its candidate for the post of the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission,” the Premier said.

Hovik Abrahamyan suggested holding the next meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan.