YEREVAN, September 20. /ARKA/. The Armenian-Russian trade grew by 16% in the first six months of 2021 from the same time span of the past year to $1.9 billion, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said today when speaking at the opening of an Armenian-Russian business gathering in Yerevan titled “Armenian-Russian Economic Cooperation. Perspective Projects.’
He said during that period of time imports from Russia grew by 9%, while exports of Armenian goods to the Russian Federation registered a 36% rise.
The bulk of Armenian exports were precious and base metals, precious and semi-precious stones, mechanical engineering, agricultural, light industry and chemical products as well as food. According to Grigoryan, Armenia has a good prospect to increase exports of non-raw materials.
Armenian-Russian trade exceeded the $2 billion mark for the first time in the pre-pandemic 2019. “Despite the forced restrictions on the movement of our citizens and goods due to the coronavirus pandemic, the trade between our countries in 2020 dropped slightly’” said Grigoryan.
According to him, in the current difficult situation, trade and economic cooperation with the countries which are members of the Eurasian Economic Union is one of the main guarantees of economic recovery for Armenia.
He said the business forum in Yerevan is the first event of this format and on such a scale, the purpose of which is direct discussions with Russian colleagues of topical economic and investment climate issues.
Grigoryan expressed confidence that the forum will serve as a good platform for establishing new direct contacts between representatives of the business community of the two countries.
“Trade and economic cooperation between our countries continues to gain momentum, including thanks to membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia shows stable growth rates of trade and cooperation with the EEU member states,” Grigoryan stated.
Grigoryan said also that one of the Russian-Armenian nearest plans is the resumption of ferry communication between the Georgian seaport Potit on the Black Sea and the Kavkaz seaport located between the Black Se and the Sea of Azov in cooperation with the South Caucasian Railway (the Armenian subsidiary of Russian Railways).
To participate in the business forum organized by the governments of Armenia and Russia, as well as by the Russian state corporation VEB.RF and the Russian Export Center (REC), a large delegation of Russian entrepreneurs arrived in Yerevan led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk. –0–