Armenia says Iran-EEU free trade agreement 'priority'

“Given the high dynamics of the development of cooperation with Iran, the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement and its subsequent implementation are priorities for us in the context of a real expansion of trade cooperation with third countries,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying by Public Radio of Armenia.

He said continued negotiations with India and Egypt, as well as the development of comprehensive dialogue on the economic agenda and the deepening of trade and economic cooperation with the UAE and Indonesia, will give an additional impetus to the process of integrating EEU into the world economy.

Armenia expects Azerbaijan to be open for the transportation of Armenian goods to the Russian Federation and Iran on a parity basis, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

He noted that the border and customs services of Armenia are ready to ensure the normal passage of all vehicles through the country.

“We expect that the Azerbaijani railroad will also be opened for trains of the Republic of Armenia through Nakhichevan and the Republic of Azerbaijan, for example, to the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. And we expect this issue to be resolved on a parity basis, on the basis of the sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries,” he said.

According to a tripartite statement of Nov. 9, 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan, mediated by Russia, agreed to unblock regional transport and economic communications. A special commission of vice premiers of the three countries has been set up to work on this issue. 

Armenia has repeatedly stated that it is ready to fulfill this paragraph of the statement, noting that all communications should be under the jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass.

The Eurasian Economic Union may strike a deal on a free trade zone with Iran earlier than with other countries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk was quoted as saying by TASS.

"We are closest with Iran," he said when asked which countries the EEU is closest to reaching an agreement with on a free trade zone.

EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission) Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev said earlier that the agreement on a free trade zone between the EEU and Iran could be signed as early as this year.

“Russia is negotiating free trade zone agreements with a number of Muslim countries,” Overchuk said.

"Within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, we have been negotiating the creation of a free trade zone with a number of Islamic states, including Egypt, Iran, the UAE. We have already started negotiations with them, and we are about to begin talks with Indonesia," he told the plenary session of the 14th international economic forum, Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum on Friday.

"We see our bilateral trade growing, and it may indicate that our countries are becoming closer to each other. Our task for today is to reduce trade barriers and simplify contacts, primarily in the economic sphere," Overchuk said.