In terms of goods that are under sanctions (imposed by the collective West on Russia) we try to be as transparent as possible, and in this sense we cooperate with the EU, US, even with Russia itself,' Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with the Czech magazine 'Respect' during his recent visit to the Czech republic.
He said logistic chains of shipments are broken or not functioning since the Ukrainian conflict.
'Many goods that used to be directly shipped to Russia are now being shipped there through Armenia, Kazakhstan and other countries,' Pashinyan said.
“For example, drinks, which aren’t subject to sanctions, are no problem. Before February 2022, they had been shipped to Russia through Poland and Belarus, now they are shipped through Armenia, 'Pashinyan said.
He said it’s not just about the change of routes, as most of the European freight forwarders are refusing to directly cooperate with the Russian market, while Russian freight forwarders can’t deliver them to Poland. Thus, entirely new logistic routes were created, including through the territory of Armenia.
'We are a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and we have very close economic ties with Russia and Armenian businesses participate in the programs that were created in the recent period. We gladly meet the Russian demand wherever there is a vacant niche. Sanctions are our red lines. And we are clearly telling this to the Russians: we don’t want to hurt you, but we can’t afford to come under sanctions ourselves. There is no secret here,” Pashinyan said, ARKA reports.
