After when Europe, the United States and Canada applied economic sanctions against Russia, and Russia gave the same answer and banned the import of several products to its country, new opportunities are opening up in the market for Armenian manufacturers. Recall that recently Russia banned the import of agricultural products, meat, fish, milk and dairy from the USA, EU, Canada, Australia and Norway for one year. Currently, there is a huge gap in the Russian market. Whether the Armenian manufacturers be able to occupy a part in the market given the volume and quality of our production.
Recall that Russia has several times banned the import of the Armenian cheese and seafood due to non-compliance with standards. In the conversation with Aravot.am, Chairman of Union of Employers of Armenia, Gagik Makaryan said that it would be good for Armenia to use this opportunity and occupy the Russian market and with long-term projects. Today, Russia, according to Mr. Makaryan, has a need for beverages, canned food, agricultural food, and the Government of Armenia just needs to accelerate and support the producers, so that the latter are able to take the market place of products of “banned countries”.
Note that it is not that if there is a vacant space in the market, we can easily occupy it. Armenia has serious rivals in the face of Turkey, Belarus and Azerbaijan. As observed by Mr. Makaryan, Belarus is, so to speak, one of number 1 countries supplying dairy products to Europe, and in addition, Belarus has developed agriculture, plus it is a neighboring country, and until our producers and the government begin to discuss and decide on something, Belarus can very quick and in a short-cut way occupy this space in the Russian market.
Armenian producers have another huge and powerful rival in the Russian market for European agricultural products and it is Turkey. As presented by Mr. Makaryan, Turkey may easily import its products to Russia by sea and “trucks”, while transportation problems for Armenia are many. “For example, the Verin Lars highway, which is regularly closed up, the vehicles are standing for days and by kilometers, this issue should be resolved in the final.” Apart from Turkey, Azerbaijan is also a rival to Armenia.
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Azerbaijan is considered a country of sweetened fruits; it produces vegetables and sells them today in Russia. “So, it is also not a problem for Azerbaijan to occupy this market. Simply, our government should make sharp and quick steps to meet with manufacturers and understand their first needs. Loans? Then either to subsidize or provide low-cost loans, if there is a problem with certification, let the government help them and so on and so forth.”
To the question of Aravot.am that the President of Russia, ignoring the economic damages, made a decision to impose sanctions against the EU, the U.S. and other countries, so whether these same leverages would not be imposed against Armenia one day to solving a political problem, Mr. Makaryan said, “We should be careful with Russia, even if we ensure the standards, it would not obstacle Russia to once again find an excuse, and for political purposes ban the access of Armenian products to the Russian market, in other words, we should not rely hope, but now, when the relations are good, we need to take the chance.
When the relations go worse, there will always be an excuse to put a veto on our products, it is obvious, and it has taken place with Moldova, Georgia and other countries.” However, use the Russian market should be used, according to Gagik Makaryan, in the upcoming holidays, during which the Russians love to eat, drink and get drunk, there will be a need for a large amount of food in Russia, so Armenian should rush in and take steps to fill in the open space.
Nelly BABAYAN
