YEREVAN. – Economist Bagrat Asatryan does not rule out the conclusion of an agreement on creating a free-trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Turkey.
Former chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia noted about the aforementioned at a press conference on Tuesday, as he reflected on the chances of Turkey’s accession to the EAEU.
“The EAEU membership can be discarded, since there are political and politico-military problems for full membership; but I don’t rule out a free-trade agreement at all,” noted the economist. “First, there are no developments, there is an apparent retreat in EU-Turkey relations, whereas Turkey is a serious country, and it needs new markets. In this sense, this type of development is quite possible. The word is about a single economic market.
“Turkey is a very significant economic unit. If you remove the oil sector from Russia, Turkey has a stronger economy than Russia. So, there is Russia’s interest here.”
The Minister of the Economy of Turkey, Nihat Zeybekçi, recently stated that his country intends to conclude a customs agreement with the EAEU.
The Eurasian Economic Union comprises Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
