Armenia to be ready to sign Customs Union agreement by February: foreign ministry

YEREVAN, November 18. /ARKA/. Yerevan will be practically ready to sign the agreement about accession to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Zone by February, deputy minister of foreign affairs Shavarsh Kocharyan said at the joint meeting of the parliament commission for external affairs and the CIS and Eurasian integration committee of the Russian Duma.

The roadmap for Armenia’s accession is expected to be approved by the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 19, Kocharyan said.

All candidates for negotiations are presented and Armenia is ready to start preparations, Kocharyan said.

In May 2014 the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council will start legal formation of the Eurasian Economic Union that will, in fact, combine the Customs Union and the Common Economic Area, Kocharyan said as quoted by Novosti-Armenia.

As the entire legal basis needs to be encoded under the Eurasian Economic Union agreement, Yerevan asks its colleagues to work in a fast mode so that it is able to become a Customs Union member by May and to fully participate in the processes to come, Kocharyan said.

The deputy minister said ratification of such complex agreements may require much time, but Armenia would still expect the Customs Union and Common Economic area countries to promptly ratify Armenia’s accession agreements.

Kocharyan also said Armenia will join another 90 documents along with its accession to the Customs Union.

The joint meeting of the Armenian parliament commission for external affairs and the CIS and Eurasian integration committee of the Russian Duma was presided over by heads of the mentioned committees Artak Zakaryan and Leonid Slutskiy. –0--