ITAR-TASS, Russia
January 2, 2015 Friday 06:29 PM GMT+4
Russian, Armenian foreign ministers discuss bilateral relations
MOSCOW January 2.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday held a phone
conversation with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandyan, the
Russian Foreign Ministry reported
Lavrov congratulated Nalbandyan on Armenia’s official accession to the
Eurasian Economic Union. The sides discussed “a number of urgent
issues of integration cooperation and bilateral relations,” the
statement said.
EEU
The new integration association – the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) –
started operating on January 1, 2015. Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and
Armenia make part of the EEU. The Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh
presidents held the final meeting in late December in the process to
establish the EEU.
Thus, the largest association with a consumer market of over 170
million people went operational on the post-Soviet space. It will
function on the basis of the World Trade Organization’s norms and
principles and will ensure freedom of movement of goods, services,
capitals and labor force.
Kyrgyzstan will join the EEU on May 1, 2015. Armenia, which has
ratified all required documents, became a full-fledged member from
January 2.
The EEU replaced the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC). Russian
President Vladimir Putin and his counterparts from Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan met in Belarusian capital Minsk
on October 10 to sign documents to eliminate EurAsEC. The EurAsEC
secretariat continued to operate until the end of 2014.
EurAsEC operated for more than 14 years. The treaty to establish it
was signed on October 10, 2000. In August 2006, EurAsEC countries made
the decision to establish a Customs Union with a common customs tariff
for all member states. On November 27, 2009 the presidents of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan decided to shift to a deeper form of economic
integration, the Common Economic Space, as of 2012.
The next step along the same lines was taken when on May 29, 2014 the
presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed a treaty on the
Eurasian Economic Union.
Armenia joins new union
Armenia is becoming a full-fledged member-state of the bloc, under an
agreement signed in October, but will have a limited representation in
the EEU’s executive bodies until their term of powers expires in late
2015.
Armenia’s share in the customs duties from goods entering the
territory of the EEU will total 1.13 percent. At the same time, the
share of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia slightly decreases to 4.65
percent, 7.25 percent and 86.97 percent from 4.7, 7.3 and 88 percent,
respectively.
The country will join the agreements between the EEU member states on
common grounds, and will switch to a common customs tariff in the
sphere of commodity trade step by step by 2022.
Until 2022, Armenia will be able to apply customs duties on a number
of goods, including meat and meat products, which differ from customs
rates of the bloc. The republic will have a separate tariff on certain
dairy products, eggs, honey until 2020 and until 2019 on some fruits
and nuts.
Besides, Armenia will apply zero customs rates on gasoline until 2018,
and will switch to a common customs tariff in 2020.
Under the same principle, the level of customs rates will be subject
to regulation on some organic and inorganic chemistry products,
pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, household chemicals, leather, plastic
ware and rubber ware, including car tires.
Up to 2021, Armenia will have separate customs rates in regard to some
kinds of fabrics.
Armenia will launch talks with the member states of the World Trade
Organization on changing its commitments as part of the organization
in connection with its admission to the EEU.
From: A. Papazian