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Armenia Said To Seek Quick Entry Into Customs Union


Belarus -- President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbaev are seen ahead of a CIS summit at the Independence Palace in Minsk, Ocober 24, 2013
Belarus -- President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbaev are seen ahead of a CIS summit at the Independence Palace in Minsk, Ocober 24, 2013
Armenia is not seeking preferential terms for its membership of the Russian-led customs union and wants to complete the accession process within several months, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said on Friday.

“The president of Armenia asked the presidents of the Customs Union’s member states to enable [Armenia] to ratify all agreements as early as possible,” the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Shuvalov as saying. Yerevan is ready to make all necessary changes in Armenian laws and regulations in the next few months, he said.

Shuvalov made clear in that regard that Russia will not significantly speed up planned membership talks “so that there is no sense that somebody is artificially drawing Armenia into the Customs Union.”

The Russian official spoke in Minsk the day after the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan met there for a regular summit of their union. President Serzh Sarkisian also attended it.

The three leaders formally approved Armenia’s membership bid with three unpublicized documents. Russia’s Vladimir Putin said they agreed to set up a task force that will come up with a “roadmap” to that membership.

According to Shuvalov, the roadmap will be ready by the union’s next summit slated for December. The Russian vice-premier further stressed that the Armenian government is ready to sign up to the joint trade tariffs and regulations of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan “without any waivers or restrictions.”

The three nations have traditionally pursued more protectionist trade policies than Armenia. Some Armenian economic analysts say membership of the Russian-dominated trade bloc would therefore push up the cost of key goods imported to Armenia and reduce vital proceeds from customs duties collected by Armenian tax authorities. Government officials in Yerevan have still not publicly commented on these concerns.

Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan presently account for less than one-quarter of Armenia’s foreign trade.
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