Trade between Russia and Armenia to increase thanks to countries' membership in Eurasian Economic Union
Entrepreneurs from Russia's city of Kaluga hope that trade turnover between Armenia and Russia will increase thanks to the countries' membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, Sergey Zhuravlyov, head of the Export Development Center in Kaluga region, told journalists on Thursday.
On September 15, a business delegation from Kaluga came to Armenia for a five-day visit. The delegation is made up of entrepreneurs.
The visit is organized by the Armenian Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs. Representatives of the Armenian economy ministry and the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Yerevan met with Kaluga entrepreneurs.
The Armenian and Russian parties exchanged of information about business environment in their countries and outlined prospects of partnership in this new economic atmosphere.
The members of the Kaluga delegation are meeting in Yerevan with representatives of private organizations. The Russian entrepreneurs expressed wish to visit certain enterprises to see industrial processes on the site and to discuss cooperation prospects and negotiate over joint business projects.
Sergey Zhuravlyov said the region's entrepreneurs want to establish business ties and find partners in Armenia.
«Mostly industrial enterprises are taking part in today's business mission,» he said.
Zhuravlyov also said that Armenia's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union simplifies all the procedures of further cooperation.
«Russia's trade turnover with Belarus and Kazakhstan has already increased,» he said. «Procedures are simplified, there are no customs borders and special paperwork and movement from country to country is free.»
Russia and Armenia have some border problems, since unlike Belarus and Kazakhstan, Armenia has no a direct border with Russia and freight between the two countries is carried out only through Georgia.
«That is why there are many problems to solve,» Zhuravlyov said. «We hope that all the obstacles will be removed very soon – when the Customs Union faced many problems at the establishment period, but things were put right.»
He pointed out that Armenia's construction sector is highly developed and Armenian builders, working in other countries, have proven to be skilled professionals.
Susanna Khalatyan, chair of the female entrepreneurs' union, on her side, said that after Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union Russian started exchanging massages with the Armenian side and coming up with various offers.
«Kaluga is one of the fast-developing regions of Russia, and today we receive good proposals from some large companies,» she said.
Mark Kalinin, head of Russia's science and culture center in Armenia, who spoke at the forum as well, expressed hope that Kaluga entrepreneurs will find partners in Armenia.
He added that Russia and Armenia have a huge potential for a long-term economic cooperation and such business forums strengthen such ties.
B2B meetings are being held as part of this forum. The operator of Kaluga's business mission in Armenia is 'Business Geometria Group' InterBridge LLC. ---0----