ARMENIA GOING TO INSERT AMENDMENTS INTO AGREEMENT ON FREE TRADE WITH RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net - In 2005, Armenia plans to introduce amendments to the agreement on free trade with Russia, announced head of the department for trade and services under the Armenian Ministry of Trade and Economic Development Gagik Kocharian. "We propose lifting the procedures of making lists of goods subject to the free trade regime, and also lift the limitations on the re-export of goods from Russia, as many CIS countries do," Mr. Kocharian stated. In addition, he said that the changes would be made to an article in the agreement that differentiates the regimes of bilateral trade for state and private sectors. In accordance with the agreement signed in 1993, the state-controlled trade enjoys the most preferred status compared with trade in the private sector. Mr. Kocharian proposes applying the same regime for both sectors. He announced that all issues would be discussed during the next meeting of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental committee on economic cooperation scheduled for the summer 2005.