Armenia has the right to make an independent decision regarding its prospects for integration with the European Union, but Yerevan must understand that this would mean a fundamentally different tariff regime in trade with Russia, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk, APA reports citing TASS.
“If this continues, we will have to make a decision. We will need to reassess our economic policy toward Armenia. Armenia has the right to decide where it wants to be. But they also understand that in that case, the tariff regime will be different for them, there will no longer be free movement of goods between our countries, and there will be no duty-free trade,” Overchuk said.
He stressed that this would be quite painful, as it could hit producers in Armenia, particularly in the agricultural sector: “The market situation is such that there is demand for their products in Russia. In all the neighboring countries, there is no shortage of grapes, apricots, or other fruits and vegetables—they all have them. Clearly, they will need to evaluate these factors, and they will.”
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister also noted that if Armenia joins the EU, the current interconnection of EU and Russian airspace could create problems in civil aviation and cross-border freight transportation.
“Today, as our ally, Armenia receives different prices from Russia for energy and food products. Armenia would also lose its advantages from the free trade zone with its closest neighbor, Iran. The consequences could be many, and they must be understood and assessed. Above all, this would be a very bad scenario for ordinary people—we do not want this, and that is why we are speaking openly about it,” Overchuk added.
Overchuk also noted that Armenia would gain something from the EU—new markets would open up and new routes would emerge: “In the end, it is the Armenian people who will decide. This is their choice.”
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