YEREVAN.- CIS deal on free trade zone arises concern, said Armenian economist, opposition member Vahagn Khachatryan.

Earlier heads of governments of eight CIS countries - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan - have agreed on establishing a free trade zone. The document provides for abolition of export and import duties for groups of goods.

“Speculations over the treaty have been made since 1994. Russia, in particular Putin, were trying to reach the signing of the document and finally persuaded some states to sign it,” he said.

The expert considers that Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan did not sign the document because they are trying to understand what benefits they would get.

Khachatryan recalled that Armenia, unlike Russia, is a member of World Trade Organization. He expressed hope that the decisions to be made would not contradict WTO rules.