Decline in Trade with Armenia Will Not Harm Us as Yerevan's Share is Small: Russian Foreign Ministry

The reduction of trade between Armenia and Russia, as well as with the EAEU, will not lead to critical shocks. This was stated by Mikhail Agasandyan, director of the First Department of the Commonwealth of Independent States at the Russian Foreign Ministry, in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"It does not lead to any critical shock, as Armenia's share in Russia's foreign trade is not very large, and Yerevan's trade with Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan is insignificant," Agasandyan said.

He also addressed the restrictions on the import of certain Armenian products, noting that these aim to ensure compliance with the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements established in the EAEU for the import of safe products, according to the Russian side.

According to Agasandyan, such supervision is provided at the checkpoints of the state borders of EAEU member countries as stipulated by the treaty on the Union.

It is noteworthy that Rosselkhoznadzor imposed restrictions on the import of all products subject to quarantine control from Armenia on June 12, as well as on their transit through Russia to other EAEU member states. The agency’s head, Sergey Dankvert, stated that the restrictions are due to the lack of effective quality control among producers and are not politically motivated.