Pashinyan urges exporters to meet EU rules

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union is a high-standard market, and "we cannot bring apricots there in buckets," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a government meeting while commenting on the European Commission's decision to introduce autonomous trade measures for a number of Armenian exports. The measures would allow certain categories of goods to be exported to and imported from the EU without customs duties.

According to Pashinyan, although the arrangement provides for preferential trade, exporters will still have to comply with documentation requirements and other regulations, reports Aysor.am .

"Together with our European partners, we will implement programs to support our private-sector partners. I want us to appreciate the significance of this development because it is a very important turning point. The EU's market of 450 million consumers is a high-value market, but it is also a market with high standards. We cannot take apricots to the European Union in buckets," Pashinyan said.

He added that, at the political level, it can already be said that the issue of market access for exports has been resolved.

"Now it remains for us to make it work in practice. That is our responsibility, not that of external institutions," the prime minister said.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that around 80% of Armenia's exports could become exempt from customs duties on the EU market. She also said the measures would open the EU's single market to Armenian beverages and spirits.