Armenia’s Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan has stated that the restrictions on Armenian exports contradict the fundamental principles of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and should be abolished.

To the journalists’ question whether after the phone conversation with the Russian president it became clear that Armenia has problems in the export sector, as well as why the European markets could not replace the Russian one, the minister reminded that according to EAEU legislation, the member states are obliged to ensure the free movement of goods, services, labor and capital.

“If this is not ensured, it means that the principles of forming the EAEU do not work. We, as a full member of EAEU and a country that is concerned about the fate of EAEU, are raising this issue because we want EAEU to exist, work and function, rather than, for example, act or not act like CSTO,” Papoyan said.

According to him, the product, which is sold without problems in the United Arab Emirates, the European Union market and China, cannot be sold in the Russian Federation without reason.

Referring to the journalists’ observation that the export problem is of a political nature, and to the reminder that the minister previously said that the issues would be resolved after July, Papoyan noted that Armenia’s goal is to make the issue a subject of discussion in order to restore the full application of the EAEU’s fundamental principles.

“When we raise this issue, we want it to be discussed and resolved in such a way that the principles of EAEU work. Failure of those principles to work is not only the problem of Armenia, in my opinion, it is the problem of the entire EAEU. We treat that organization as our organization and cannot have a neutral or passive attitude towards any non-working mechanism,” the minister emphasized.

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