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Armenian ex-MP, businessman speaks of accession to Customs Union
18:20 - 11.10.13
In an interview with Tert.am, ex-member of Armenia's Parliament and
President of the Vedi Alco Company Manvel Ghazaryan spoke of the
economic prospects of Armenia's accession to the Customs Union.
- Mr Ghazaryan, as a businessman, what's your opinion of Armenia's
accession to the Customs Union?
- I voiced my opinion of the Customs Union as far back as May. I
welcomed the process and my opinion remains unchanged. Because the
Customs Union is like we have lived for the last 200 years. We have
been economically integrating into this system and no other system
will ever have room for us.
- Are you satisfied with the arguments for the economic benefits
Armenia can gain by joining the Customs Union?
- The fact that we will not lose this market is an enormous benefit.
And if Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had not made the statement on
Armenia's accession to the Customs Union, the grapes procurement would
have stopped as far back as September. No winery or brandy factory
would have purchased grapes.
- Did you receive any signals that Russians refused to import Armenian
wine or cognac?
- No, we did not. Everyone seemed to be hopeful that we would join the
Customs Union and we did not receive any opposite signals. The Customs
Union area's share in Armenia's exports of drinks of grapes is 95%.
- Do you think that not only the security factor, but also the
economic one are essential for Armenia's accession to the Customs
Union?
- The greatest security is economic security because we cannot speak
of any security without economy or even hope for that.
- Why was the EU donor conference expected to result in investments of
millions of US dollars?
- Neighboring Georgia has this experience. Donors were regularly
sponsoring the country and it was isolated from the Russian market.
Viniculture and viticulture showed serious regress there. If we have
normal working conditions, why should we put an end to it and wait for
subsidies or assistance?
- If so, what was the purpose of the four-and-a-half-year-long negotiations?
- I think the negotiations are going on now as well. We should
continue seeking normal relations - be it Europe, the West, USA or
China. We should not forget that we have large communities both in the
USA and in Europe, and we must have good political relations with
them. And I do not think we should set any limits.
- We are speaking of the benefits of not losing the Russian market.
However, Russians have always loved Georgian wines, and our wines are
not in such a great demand in Russia as Armenian cognac.
- Yes, Armenia is famous for its cognac, and Georgia for its wine. For
the past ten or more years we have been trying to make our wine known
in Russia's market. Some progress has been made. I think that we have
a rather long way to pass to make our wine as famous as Georgian
wines.
- Is it the quality problem?
- It is not the quality. True, Georgia produces high-quality wines.
But we too have both the potential and the opinions of most West
European experts. We have been in contact with them since 1999. And
Armenian wines are not inferior to Georgian wines. When I say `our
products,' I mean that most of our grapes is used in cognac
production. And losing Russia's market or the Customs Union area means
an end to Armenian cognac-making.
- The cognac price rose from September 1because of the excise tax and
energy price. May wines rise in price for the same reasons?
- To tell the truth, all the prices have been rising for the past ten
years - except for the prices for wine, cognac and vodka.
- What's your opinion on the statements that by joining the Customs
Union Armenia is losing part of its sovereignty because a
supranational body will be working, with its decisions mandatory for
all the member-states. I am putting this question to you as a
participant in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
- For example, France, Germany and other European nations were
independent throughout the period we were not. And if some of them
stopped using their national currencies thus yielding part of their
sovereignty why should we not? Why do not we speak of the Russian
troops defending our borders, but speak of losing our national values?
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/10/11/manvel-ghazaryan/
From: Baghdasarian
18:20 - 11.10.13
In an interview with Tert.am, ex-member of Armenia's Parliament and
President of the Vedi Alco Company Manvel Ghazaryan spoke of the
economic prospects of Armenia's accession to the Customs Union.
- Mr Ghazaryan, as a businessman, what's your opinion of Armenia's
accession to the Customs Union?
- I voiced my opinion of the Customs Union as far back as May. I
welcomed the process and my opinion remains unchanged. Because the
Customs Union is like we have lived for the last 200 years. We have
been economically integrating into this system and no other system
will ever have room for us.
- Are you satisfied with the arguments for the economic benefits
Armenia can gain by joining the Customs Union?
- The fact that we will not lose this market is an enormous benefit.
And if Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had not made the statement on
Armenia's accession to the Customs Union, the grapes procurement would
have stopped as far back as September. No winery or brandy factory
would have purchased grapes.
- Did you receive any signals that Russians refused to import Armenian
wine or cognac?
- No, we did not. Everyone seemed to be hopeful that we would join the
Customs Union and we did not receive any opposite signals. The Customs
Union area's share in Armenia's exports of drinks of grapes is 95%.
- Do you think that not only the security factor, but also the
economic one are essential for Armenia's accession to the Customs
Union?
- The greatest security is economic security because we cannot speak
of any security without economy or even hope for that.
- Why was the EU donor conference expected to result in investments of
millions of US dollars?
- Neighboring Georgia has this experience. Donors were regularly
sponsoring the country and it was isolated from the Russian market.
Viniculture and viticulture showed serious regress there. If we have
normal working conditions, why should we put an end to it and wait for
subsidies or assistance?
- If so, what was the purpose of the four-and-a-half-year-long negotiations?
- I think the negotiations are going on now as well. We should
continue seeking normal relations - be it Europe, the West, USA or
China. We should not forget that we have large communities both in the
USA and in Europe, and we must have good political relations with
them. And I do not think we should set any limits.
- We are speaking of the benefits of not losing the Russian market.
However, Russians have always loved Georgian wines, and our wines are
not in such a great demand in Russia as Armenian cognac.
- Yes, Armenia is famous for its cognac, and Georgia for its wine. For
the past ten or more years we have been trying to make our wine known
in Russia's market. Some progress has been made. I think that we have
a rather long way to pass to make our wine as famous as Georgian
wines.
- Is it the quality problem?
- It is not the quality. True, Georgia produces high-quality wines.
But we too have both the potential and the opinions of most West
European experts. We have been in contact with them since 1999. And
Armenian wines are not inferior to Georgian wines. When I say `our
products,' I mean that most of our grapes is used in cognac
production. And losing Russia's market or the Customs Union area means
an end to Armenian cognac-making.
- The cognac price rose from September 1because of the excise tax and
energy price. May wines rise in price for the same reasons?
- To tell the truth, all the prices have been rising for the past ten
years - except for the prices for wine, cognac and vodka.
- What's your opinion on the statements that by joining the Customs
Union Armenia is losing part of its sovereignty because a
supranational body will be working, with its decisions mandatory for
all the member-states. I am putting this question to you as a
participant in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
- For example, France, Germany and other European nations were
independent throughout the period we were not. And if some of them
stopped using their national currencies thus yielding part of their
sovereignty why should we not? Why do not we speak of the Russian
troops defending our borders, but speak of losing our national values?
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/10/11/manvel-ghazaryan/
From: Baghdasarian