Development of single petroleum products market among top directions of EEU integration, says Armenian PM

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian exports to EEU member states grew 20%, while the total turnover 11%, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in remarks at the XVII Session of the Eurasian Economic Union’s Inter-Governmental Council in Yerevan. He noted that in 2018 the EEU member countries amounted for 28,5% of Armenia’s export destinations.

“The priorities of our government’s actions are harmonious with the philosophy of the union’s foundation. As a consequence, we perceive the membership to the union as one of the tools for reaching our government’s goals and as one of the factors providing economic growth. I am happy to note that a growth in commodity turnover can be noticed between Armenia and EEU members”, PM Nikol Pashinyan said.

He said Armenia will make all efforts during its prudency at the union to strengthen the positive dynamics of integration and finding new mechanisms and paths for cooperation, adding that one of the most important directions is the development of single markets of gas, oil and oil products and the formation of a single electricity market.

“We find it necessary to boost the efforts which are aimed at the quick resolution of the delicate issue of price formation of energy resources on non-discriminatory basis, and their transit through the territories on member states of the union, including by taking into consideration transit components. One of the strategic directions of our cooperation, the complete implementation of the EEU digital agenda, is of special interest. Particularly, we believe that the creation of our own Eurasian eco-systems can contribute to the development of digital services, increase of shares of the union’s trans-boundary product services and ensuring balance of regulation of digital service and adjacent product markets”, he said.

The XVII Session of the Eurasian Economic Union’s (EEU) Inter-Governmental Council has kicked off in Yerevan, Armenia.

Prime Ministers of EEU members Muhammetkaliy Abulgaziyev of Kyrgyzstan, Sergei Rumas of Belarus, Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Askar Mamin of Kazakhstan have arrived to the Armenian capital for the sitting.

Eurasian Economic Commission Chairman of the Board Tigran Sargsyan is also in attendance.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan