ARMENIA IS AN IMPORTANT REGIONAL UNIT

Interview with political analyst Rudick Yaralyan by Alice Alaverdyan

– Armenia, being the only state among the EAEU countries, bordering with Iran, has all the chances to become a unit that provides economic relations between the Union and Iran. In this context first of all it is about trade and bilateral investments between Iran and the EAEU, for which, I think, a special format will be determined. After all, it is clear that the EAEU can not justify its existence, if will be limited only with itself, and Iranian market with a population of approximately 80mln gives great opportunities to EAEU countries to realize their own products.

On the other hand, Iran also has a problem to access the foreign markets, and this country realizes that the best space to realize its products is the EAEU market. I think that after that the Armenian-Iranian economic relations would acquire a new quality, intensification of trade with Iran and increase of its volume can have a positive impact on our economy.

Through Armenia EAEU countries can also enter with Iran in energy cooperation and breathe new life into long-forgotten projects such as the construction of an oil-refinery in Armenia with the direct participation of Iran. This project can fully justify itself, if the project of Iran-Armenia railway will be implemented as soon as possible through which the transportation of raw materials will be realized more effectively. Therefore, I think that in the near future a lot of attention will be paid also to the Iran-Armenia railway.