YEREVAN. – When the Armenian National Statistical Service issues the results of the previous year, the government plans to present a report in February-March 2014, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan noted at a press conference on Friday.

Sargsyan responded to a journalist’s query as to whether he will resign, since he could not achieve the 7-percent economic growth which President Serzh Sargsyan had instructed.

“The political assessments will be given when we evaluate all the factors to understand whether the maximum was done to record an economic growth,” the PM said.          

And with respect to the possibility of an increase in the prices of some goods, should Armenia join the Russian-led Customs Union (CU), Sargsyan specifically noted:    

“The road map [on Armenia’s CU accession] indicates that we need to finish the talks and decide on the procedures we will specify on those products.    

“It is believed that the agreement on joining the CU will be ready in May. [But] the old [customs duty] rates may be applied in the coming years, [and] slowly change in the future.

“The increase in these rates also may enhance the quality of some products. If the customs duties are high, domestic production will be protected from the importation of cheap goods, [and] our local production may grow.      

“But the bad thing is that the prices may rise from the increase in the customs duties.”