Armenia can play decisive role for BRICS shipments to Europe, says Sameep Shastri

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia can acquire a decisive role in terms of logistics for BRICS member states in shipping their goods to Europe, Vice-Chairman of BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sameep Shastri has said.

“Armenia is interesting for BRICS countries with its rich resources in agriculture,” TASS quoted Shastri as saying at a conference. 

He said that BRICS needs countries that can develop their economy and become strong players. “And Armenia is such a country. When the BRICS concept was conceived, many treated this project skeptically because member states are located in completely different parts of the world. But as you can see, this concept justified itself,” Shastri said, adding that Armenia can become an important country for BRICS in terms of shipment of goods towards Europe.

Shastri added that he’s visited Ararat Province where he realized to what extent Armenia depends on agriculture. In Ararat, he said, there are green fields the like of which can’t be found in India today.

“We will look into how India can invest in Armenia, and how Armenia in turn can invest in India,” Sameep Shastri said.

Maxim Kuznetsov, the President of the Russian-Asian Business Council, in turn said that despite its modest size of economy, Armenia has rather big potential which makes it appealing for BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in terms of cooperation.

BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.