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YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS: The discussions of the right to use the word “Cognac” in the context of the negotiations in the framework of the Armenia-European Union Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area are still in the process. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Garegin Melkonyan at the briefing on April 18, answering the question if the issue of the copyright of the word “Cognac” had been discussed.
“There have certainly been discussions and they still continue. If there is an agreement, we will let you know”, - said the Deputy Minister of Economy. Melkonyan stated that all the parts of the negotiations on the Armenia-European Union Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, which had not been finally agreed, would be passed to the next stage.
The Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Garegin Melkonyan earlier informed that the word “Cognac” was protected by the European Legislation and was registered as a geographical indication. The Armenian side presented the European partners that cognac in Armenia was perceived as a kind of a product.
The negotiations in the framework of the 5th stage of the Armenia-European Union Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area were directed to the dispute settlement, origin rules, services, intellectual property rights, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as on customs tariffs and reciprocal liberalization offers of trade in services.
The 5th stage of the negotiations on establishing Armenia-European Union Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area was held in Yerevan on April 16-17. On March 19 the Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan received the EU delegation led by Gunnar Wiegand, the EU Chief Negotiator over the Armenia-EU Association Agreement and Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE at the European External Action Service, who arrived in Armenia to take part in the 12th plenary session of the negotiations between Armenia and the European Union over the Association Agreement.
The negotiations over the Association Agreement launched since July 2010 are coming to a final stage thanks to the efforts. The negotiations over the creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area are effectively underway, as well.
During the meeting the interlocutors stressed that the sides had a common goal to finalize talks over the Association Agreement, including the negotiations over the creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area ahead of the Vilnius summit in November 2013.