The Board member of the Armenian National Movement Hovhannes Igityan considers the conversations on founding a free trade zone for Turkey and the Eurasian Economic Union as not realistic. Referring to the announcement of the Minister of Economy of Turkey and the conversations about it, Hovhannes Igityan expressed his opinion which constitutes that Turkey will ever withdraw from its privileges in the field of world and especially EU trade and economy, from the various investments in his country for the sake of unification which has solely 180 million of non-stabilized market and insolvent citizens. And without withdrawal from those privileges it is impossible to sign the agreement on free trade zone with the EAEU: “For tomatoes alone, which have a trouble with entering the Russian market, Turkey will not go for that step.”
Mr. Igityan also reminds that in 2013, rejecting to sign the agreement on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU and becoming a member of the Customs Union Armenia lost its opportunities of receiving privileges from the EU irrevocably.
Mr. Igityan does not want to address the theoretical component of these conversations, forasmuch as he does not see an economic part in all of this. He regards the announcements voiced by Turkey as exceptionally of a political character. Nevertheless, he states that Turkish products can become serious competitors to the products of the EAEU member countries. “It is clear, Turkey wants to say something to the EU or any other country by this. This step of Turkey is favorable to the Russian Federation. Thereby Russia will show that the Union created by him goes forward, enlarges”, informed Mr. Igityan, adding that regardless of everything, including whether to be or not to be an EAEU member, proceeding from its interests, Russia can always create problems for the entry of the products of other states. He brings the example of Armenian, Belorussian and Kazakh similar attempt with the excuse of not corresponding to the sanitary and hygienic standards.
Howbeit, how will these conversations end? Hovhannes Igityan opines that in the best case all this will end with agreements and cooperations within separate fields, but Turkey will not become the full member of the EAEU.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
