We cannot take apricots to the EU in a bucket – Nikol Pashinyan

The European Commission has decided to apply autonomous trade measures to a number of Armenian products, meaning that certain goods will be exported to the EU without customs duties, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government session.

According to him, although this is a free trade regime, it still requires compliance with rules on documentation and other procedures.

“We will implement joint programs with our EU partners to support businesses in the private sector. I want us to appreciate the significance of this decision because it is a major milestone. The EU market of 450 million consumers is a high-value market, but it is also a market of high standards. We cannot take apricots to the EU in a bucket,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed that, at the political level, Armenia can now say that the export issue has been resolved.

“Now we must solve it at the practical level. That is our job, not the job of foreign institutions,” Pashinyan added.