YEREVAN. – President Serzh Sargsyan should gather courage and say we need to put the matter of Armenia joining the Customs Union to a referendum.

Opposition Freedom Party Chairman, ex-presidential candidate, former PM, MP and economist Hrant Bagratyan stated the aforesaid during a press conference on Wednesday. 

“If the referendum said ‘yes’ to the Customs Union, steps should be taken so that the Customs Union would be better for us. No matter what the referendum result will be, this will legitimize the decision,” he noted.   

Bagratyan said if Armenia is going toward the Customs Union, a serious respective commission should be set up.  

“Being in a union where there are energy importers, [and] exporters, the adverse effect of the energy bearers need to be neutralized. Under these conditions, this will mean shutting down the republic’s economy.  We will be in a situation when tariffs will have to be increased fourfold,” the opposition MP stated.         

The Freedom Party leader also argued that the Russian ruble zone will await Armenia should it enter the Customs Union.  

“The Customs Union is impossible to imagine without the ruble zone,” he added.

And as for the positive side to joining the Customs Union, Hrant Bagratyan pointed to the potential flourishing of wine and brandy production, and the Russian investments.