Armenia becomes only country without EU candidate status or DCFTA to receive trade benefit - ministry spox

Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Ani Badalyan said the EU’s trade liberalization measures for Armenian products will help diversify Armenia’s foreign trade, expand access to the EU market for Armenian goods and further deepen Armenia-EU economic and trade cooperation.

Badalyan commented after the EU Council formally adopted temporary trade-liberalization measures for Armenian products.

“Today, September 24, the EU Council’s Competitiveness Council gave final approval to the proposal for a regulation on the application of autonomous trade measures to Armenian products. Following its signing by the Presidents of the European Parliament and the EU Council, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force the following day. Under this EU regulation, around 80% of Armenia’s exports to the EU will be liberalized, with import duties suspended on a wide range of products, including certain agricultural products. These measures will contribute to the diversification of Armenia’s foreign trade, expand access to the EU market for Armenian products, and further deepen Armenia-EU economic and trade cooperation. Once it enters into force, the preferential regime will apply for a period of two years. Earlier, on September 2, the EU Council gave its approval to the proposal without amendments. Then, on September 15, the European Parliament approved the document in a plenary session. Yesterday, September 23, the proposal was also adopted by the EU Council’s Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States. With the adoption of this regulation, Armenia becomes the only country that, without EU candidate status or a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement with the EU, receives such an economic benefit. This once again demonstrates the unprecedentedly high level of Armenia-EU partnership and is in line with the spirit of the declaration of the first Armenia-EU summit and the strategic agenda of the partnership,” the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson said.