MP says Eurasian integration important for Armenia

YEREVAN, October 24. / ARKA /. An Armenian parliament member Mikael Melkumian, argued today in favor of Armenia’s deeper involvement in the Eurasian integration process saying it would give an additional boost to its economic expansion. Mr. Melkumian, who is deputy chairman of a parliament committee on economic issues, spoke at the ‘Eurasian Breakthrough’ forum held as part of Russia-Armenia EXPO-12 that kicked off today in Yerevan.

He said a systematic analysis of post-crisis developments in Armenia’s economy is important for a better understanding of this process. In this context, he noted that Armenia’s annual exports are a little over $1 billion, while imports have surpassed more than $ 4 billion.

The MP also said that in the process of Eurasian integration it is also important to take into account the factor of major economic partners of Armenia, which, according to him, are Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Belgium, Iran and Bulgaria.

The forum is organized by the Russian Eurasian Cooperation Development Fund and Zarubezh-Expo as well as Armenian Multi-Group Concern of Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party with the support from the Confederation of Public Forces for Eurasian Integration. A set of discussions are planned on the sidelines of the event to address a variety of topics as the achievements and prospects of the Eurasian Economic Community, the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union, the Common Economic Space, the CIS Free Trade Area with the focus on national economies amid the global financial crisis.

The objective of the forum is to discuss the prospects of economic cooperation between CIS countries, the Baltic States and Georgia within EurAsEC, Customs Union, the Common Economic Space, as well as the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union and creation of conditions for the development of economic projects in Eurasia.

The forum has brought together representatives of the executive and legislative authorities, relevant ministries and agencies, entrepreneurs, experts from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, students, journalists from the CIS countries, the Baltic States and Georgia. -0-