Russian parliament chairman urges Armenian parliament to ratify CIS free trade zone treaty
24.07.2012,
20:18
Chairman of Russian State Duma, Sergey Naryshkin, urged today the new Armenian parliament to ratify the agreement on CIS free trade zone when it is back from summer recession.
YEREVAN, July 24. /ARKA/. Chairman of Russian State Duma, Sergey Naryshkin, urged today the new Armenian parliament to ratify the agreement on CIS free trade zone when it is back from summer recession.
He said his meetings with Armenian MPs, and the head of the Armenian state revealed that Armenia is seriously discussing the possibility of ratifying the CIS free trade agreement.
"I hope that in autumn when the new Armenian parliament convenes it will ratify the agreement and Armenia will become the third country after Russia and Belarus to ratify the document," Naryshkin said in Yerevan on Tuesday at a joint press briefing with his Armenian opposite number Hovik Abrahamyan.
The agreement on CIS free trade zone was signed October 18, 2011 by Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Ukraine. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan said they would like to examine the issue before signing it.
Under the agreement, import and export duties on most categories of goods will be eliminated. CIS leaders first signed a protocol on a free-trade zone in 1994, and promises to sign a final agreement have been regular features of CIS summits since the early 2000s. The new free-trade arrangement is said not to conflict with any obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO). -0-
