Armenia Does Not Plan to Become a Circumvention Environment for Sanctions, Says Ararat Mirzoyan

Armenia does not plan to become a circumvention environment for sanctions. This statement was made by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan after a meeting in Vienna with Austria's Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg. He addressed a journalist's inquiry about whether Armenia is circumventing the European Union's sanctions against Russia and whether the potential EU sanctions against Armenia are a concern.

The journalist cited a report from the Financial Times, according to which the volume of car exports from Armenia to Russia has increased 225-fold over the past year.

“Certainly, this war has influenced (referring to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict) both positively and negatively on Armenia’s economy. However, since you are talking about sanctions, I would like to publicly and emphatically assure all those interested in this topic that Armenia does not intend to become a circumvention environment for sanctions. We are working very closely and transparently not only with the relevant EU bodies but also with the United States and all interested parties, assuring them that the Armenian government is steadfast in avoiding creating an environment where sanctions can be circumvented,” noted Ararat Mirzoyan.

He assured that the Armenian authorities are working in an open and transparent manner. If there are problems, they are quickly identified and properly addressed.