Today, the government held its regular meeting. Before discussing the agenda items, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and stated, “The visit was dedicated to a very important event, as the EU Commission has decided to apply autonomous trade measures to a number of Armenian products. This means that certain groups of products will be exported to the EU and imported without customs duties, i.e., in a free trade regime.”
Pashinyan noted that according to the statements of President von der Leyen, this decision will relate to approximately 80% of potential exports from Armenia, 99% of agricultural products, 99% of fruits and vegetables, and around 90% of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The Prime Minister acknowledged that it will take some time before the decision fully comes into effect, as member countries must make decisions during this period, and the European Parliament must adopt a corresponding resolution.
“But I want to remind you that we already have a decision in place that provides export support regarding customs duties; this means that in real life we have already created this opportunity. Of course, this decision expands it further. This decision is necessary but not sufficient for us to take advantage of the potential opportunities that are opening up, because our private sector and businesses need to learn how to utilize these mechanisms. We must note that this is a completely new direction for a significant if not large part of our exporters,” Pashinyan said, adding that they have also agreed with EU partners to implement joint support programs for the private sector.
“I want us to evaluate this event because it is a very significant and pivotal moment, as the EU market of 450 million is a market of high price segments but also a market of high standards. We want to have access to the global market. Ultimately, this is a good opportunity to implement the food standards that we have on paper in real life. I mean, the EU has made decisions, and during this time, the EU institutions will work, but we also need to work with the private sector to inform them how these mechanisms work,” the head of state said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the export issue is resolved at the political level, and it remains to be solved at the practical level.
