EU market opening for Armenian goods reflects political decision, says Mirzoyan

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday that the opening of the EU market for Armenian agricultural goods reflects EU support for Armenia and is the result of a political decision.

“Yes, of course this is a political decision,” Mirzoyan told lawmakers at a parliamentary committee hearing when asked whether the move was a political decision.

Mirzoyan said there is a clear willingness on the part of the European Union and its member states to support Armenia’s economic and democratic resilience.

“We see readiness at the highest level from our European Union partners to support the Republic of Armenia’s economic and political resilience, to ensure economic diversity and diversification, which we constantly talk about,” the minister said.

Concrete results are already visible, he added, with some Armenian agricultural products beginning to enter the European market.

“We had political agreements, we had political assurances. We had deliveries and sales of certain types of agricultural products on the European market. For example, flowers are the best example—in Latvia and elsewhere as well,” he noted.

The minister particularly highlighted the Netherlands’ announcement regarding its readiness to open its market to Armenian flowers.

“The Netherlands, which has a strong tradition in floriculture, announced yesterday that it is ready to open its market to flowers grown in Armenia. This is a very significant step,” Mirzoyan said.

According to the Foreign Minister, a political agreement already exists between Armenia and the European Union, and the sides are now moving to the stage of working out technical details.

“There is a general political understanding, a general political agreement between Armenia and the European Union. We are entering the phase of technical formulations—what specific products the European Union is ready to [open up],” he noted.

Mirzoyan expressed confidence that these agreements will soon be translated into practical results for various goods.

“The political agreement and the path are there,” the minister emphasized.

Russia banned a wide range of Armenian imports in recent weeks, prompting Armenian producers to look for new markets. Amid the growing Russian restrictions, the EU announced support programs and opened its market.