YEREVAN. – The state and official languages of the Customs Union (CU) member states should be equal for use and communication. 

Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party National Assembly Faction Secretary Tevan Poghosyan told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am. 

Poghosyan commented on the recent statement by Andrey Belyaninov, Head of Federal Customs Service of Russia, according to which the working language of the customs services of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan is Russian, whereas this is Armenian in Armenia, and therefore, “a serious work must be done. Otherwise, they will not understand one another in these countries.”     

In the Armenian MP’s conviction, the Customs Union should understand that the national languages should be respected. 

“If there is a problem in technical terms, they can communicate in any language suitable for them,” Poghosyan said.

But he stressed that the deeper Armenia’s CU accession process get, similar statements will be heard that much more often.  

As per Heritage’s deputy, the Armenian officials need to be demanding, and defend Armenia’s Constitution and interests.  

“[But] if they are unable to do that, the [Armenian] society should respond adequately,” Tevan Poghosyan added. 

Following the talks that were held on September 3, 2013 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union. In December 2013, the “road map” for Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union was adopted. And in January of this year, the Government of Armenia approved the action plan for the implementation of this “road map.” Aside from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan likewise are members in the Customs Union.