Armenia is now in the Eurasian Economic Union

December 31, 2014
EEC Press Office
PRESS RELEASE

Armenia is now in the Eurasian Economic Union

January 2, the Treaty on Armenia's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is coming into force. Armenia became the fourth full-fledged Member-State of the Eurasian Economic Union together with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

By this Treaty Armenia has made a part of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, signed by the Presidents of the EEU Member-States - Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin on May 29, 2014 in Astana, as well as other international treaties forming the EEU legal framework. From now on, Armenia undertakes corresponding obligations, and therewith gets access to the EEU single market with 170 million citizens.

By joining the Eurasian Economic Union, the state gets fully involved into implementation of the Eurasian project aimed, on the one hand, at forming of four freedoms: free movement of goods, services, capital and labour force. On the other hand, - at creation of one of the key economic centers of evolving architecture of the multipolar world.

The fourth partner expects a number of positive effects form integration. Among the key ones there are an increase of goods turnover due to elimination of barriers and minimization of administrative expenses, increase of mobility of labour force due to introduction to the single labour market, increase of stability of economic development due to reduction of economic isolation effect, development of infrastructure projects, participation in drawing up of the agenda using the mechanisms of the Eurasian Economic Union.

The Treaty on accession provides for full involvement of Armenia’s representatives into the activities of the EEU governance. Upon entry of the Treaty into force the President of Armenia becomes a full-fledged Member of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, and the Prime Minister becomes a Member of Intergovernmental Council; the full-fledged representative joins the Eurasian Economic Commission. Armenia will be represented by three Board Members in the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, as wells as other EEU Member-States.

For reference:

April 10, 2013 the Chairman of the EEC Board Viktor Khristenko and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan signed the Memorandum on cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The document laid the basis for cooperation between the Parties by providing consultations, conducting conferences and seminars, preparing of analytical reviews on issues of mutual interest, conducting meetings of the Eurasian Economic Commission management with the Armenian Party. At the same time, over a period of several years, the Republic of Armenia has been engaged in an active dialogue with the European Union within the frameworks of the “Eastern Partnership” program, aimed at conclusion of the European Union Association Agreement.

September 3, 2013 the Republic of Armenia issued a declaration of intent to join the Customs Union (CU) and Single Economic Space (SES). October 24, 2013, during the panel session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk the Presidents of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation considered the application of the Republic of Armenia and instructed the Eurasian Economic Commission to initiate the procedure on accession.

The Working Group created based on Decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council “On accession of the Republic of Armenia to the Customs Union and Single Economic Space of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation” dated October 24, 2013 No. 49 with participation of the representatives of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia and the Eurasian Economic Commission, chaired by the Member of the Board – Minister in charge of the Development of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission Tatiana Valovaya developed the relevant “road map”.

November 6, 2013, in Erevan the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan signed a Memorandum on strengthened cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Republic of Armenia, the project thereof was preliminary approved by Decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the highest level on October 24, 2013 No. 49. In accordance with the Memorandum the Republic of Armenia shall have the right to participate in the sessions of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Council and the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, as well as the right to appoint a representative of the Republic of Armenia to the Eurasian Economic Commission. The Memorandum also provides for the possibility to establish information exchange between the Parties. This Memorandum was prepared and adopted in furtherance of the Memorandum on cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated April 10, 2013.

December 24, 2013 in Minsk the Presidents of the Member-States of the Customs Union and Single Economic Space approved the “road map” for accession of the Republic of Armenia to the Eurasian integration association. The Heads of the Member-States of the Customs Union and Armenia accepted the Application “On participation of the Republic of Armenia in the Eurasian integration process”, that welcomed the intention of the Republic of Armenia to join the Customs Union and Single Economic Space.

All the measures that had to be taken prior to the accession have been taken. In the course of cooperation Armenia demonstrated a laudable interest and activity. In accordance with the “road map”, the Republic of Armenia had to take 126 measures out of 267 “prior to accession”. All of them have been taken. Certain provisions relating to the implementation of these items are included in the Treaty on Accession. Within the frameworks of the accession procedure the experts of the Eurasian Economic Commission made more than 40 visits to the Republic of Armenia.

In general, the implementation of the "road map" for the Republic of Armenia is the harmonization of national legislation with the contractual and legal framework of the Eurasian Economic

Note to editors

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) – a supranational governing body of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia (CU) and the Single Economic Space (SES) of the Eurasian Economic Community. The main task of the EEC is to ensure conditions for the CU and SES operation and development as well as to elaborate economic integration initiatives within the framework of the CU and SES. The EEC is based on the Agreement on «the Eurasian Economic Commission» and «Eurasian Economic Commission Regulation» of 18 November 2011. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. It brings together 56 countries in Europe, North-America, and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and North America. Its main aim is to promote pan-European economic integration and cooperation in environment, forests, housing and land management, statistics, energy, trade and transport.

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