YEREVAN. – Armenia needs to strengthen its ties with Belarus and Kazakhstan, and win their sympathy in the Customs Union. 

Economist Gagik Makaryan, who is also Chairman of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia, said the abovementioned at a press conference on Thursday,

As per Makaryan, the deeper the economic integration and mutual interests are, Armenia’s importance for official Astana and Minsk becomes that much greater.

According to the economist, at present, Armenia’s main trade is conducted with Russia (23%). But the volume of trade with Belarus and Kazakhstan is at 0.8 and 0.2 percent, respectively.

In Makaryan’s view, more can be expected from the cooperation with Belarus.

“It may seem like Belarus is a backward country with which no one wants to deal with. But they are manufacturing refrigerators there with the Finn, and using German products for cars and equipment. So, the cooperation with the West is apparent,” he stated.        

The head of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia also noted that the union held negotiations also with French associates, and to import affordable technologies. The Armenian party is interested in second-hand western technologies.

“They [the West] will be able to get rid of old equipment while we will be able to introduce European technologies [here] at us,” Gagik Makaryan added.