RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers the limitations of the Russian market and the expected financial support from the EU not as a reason for additional tension, but as a strategic opportunity to diversify Armenian exports.
Referring to the publication of the British Financial Times periodical that Brussels is going to provide emergency aid to Yerevan to compensate for the damages of the Russian sanctions, the head of the government thanked the European partners for their prompt response. He emphasized that the authorities do not consider the closure of traditional markets as an ultimatum, but rather as an incentive to look for new directions. According to the Prime Minister, international support together with the state budget toolkit gives the opportunity to provide more targeted assistance to businessmen.
Evaluating the intermediate results of the reorientation of the economy, Pashinyan noted that the daily work already gives tangible results. The geography of supplies has been expanded by dozens of new countries, most of which previously had a zero level of trade turnover. The prime minister stressed that now the main challenge of Armenian business is not to find buyers, but to significantly increase production capacities to meet the high demand for new and long-term contracts.
In response to the journalists’ observation that a large amount of agricultural products are spoiled due to export problems, the head of the government urged not to dramatize the situation. He clarified that certain loss of perishable products, particularly apricots or flowers, is an inevitable part of any agricultural or production process. According to Pashinyan, such normal losses have occurred in the past as well, it’s just that now they are receiving exaggerated media attention.
Since June 12, Moscow, against the background of growing political differences with Yerevan, has completely banned the import and transit of all sub-quarantine products from Armenia. The restrictions were imposed by “Rosselkhoznadzor” after the discovery of a dangerous pest (capra beetle) and complaints about the phytosanitary control of the Armenian side.
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