Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference on the day of the parliamentary elections that the EU market will be open to Armenian agricultural products without customs duties.
He referred to the telephone conversation with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, which took place on June 4. The European Commission President said that the European Union is preparing measures to support Armenia, including financial assistance worth more than 50 million euros. According to her, the EU also plans to simplify access to the European market for some goods from Armenia.
“In addition, urgent support in the amount of 50 million euros will now be provided to support the artificial problems associated with the export of agricultural and other products, [Урсула фон дер Ляйен] It also conveyed other very important information: the agricultural products of the Republic of Armenia will be exported to the European Union without customs duties, that is, within the framework of a free customs regime.”
In recent months, relations between Russia and Armenia have deteriorated sharply. Moscow accuses Nikol Pashinyan of being pro-Western. In response to Yerevan’s attempts to get closer to Europe, Russia began imposing restrictions on the import of products from Armenia – flowers, mineral water, vegetables, herbs, peaches, strawberries, apples and fish.
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are also demanding that Armenia hold a referendum to determine whether the country will remain in the Eurasian Economic Union or continue seeking to join the European Union. Pashinyan refused to hold the referendum.