The Government of the Republic of Armenia

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan attended a joint session of EAEU Supreme Financial Audit Boards. The Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia addressed the session with greeting remarks:

“Dear Presidents of EAEU Supreme Financial Audit Boards,
Dear participants and guests,

I welcome you on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The Eurasian Economic Union is an effective integration association created to ensure sustainable economic progress and development of its member states.

The Union has already proved its viability and effectiveness, as evidenced by the indicators of domestic trade turnover and foreign trade, and here I would note indeed the desire of many countries to have business and institutional relations with the EAEU.

It is necessary to emphasize that the Eurasian Union is a large, united and at the same time complex organism, in which our countries deal with urgent problems on the basis of mutual respect, taking into account the interests of all parties through daily and purposeful work. Here, of course, I would like to dwell on the mobility and efficiency of the Union’s bodies.

On the one hand, it is an association where all decisions are made by consensus, which is, of course, very good in institutional terms. On the other hand, it has a specific impact on the speed of decision-making, but I can assure you that in any case decision-making will be faster and more effective every day or every year, and in this sense, the Union’s development prospects and management processes will improve year after year.

As you know, Armenia has been presiding within the EAEU this year; we have made every effort to ensure the Union’s full-fledged functioning, as well as to diversify foreign economic relations and expand the geographical coverage of free trade agreements. This year we institutionalized the Union’s relations with the Republic of Iran; we signed an arrangement with Serbia, and I think that these are pretty indicative results, because the volume of trade and level of relations streamlined by these agreements are pretty large, I think that for the business of our countries these are good, new platforms for the development of their trade relations.

Dear Friends,

I would like to note that not only representatives of the executive branch, but also the Supreme Financial Audit Institutions are actively cooperating within the framework of the Union. I believe that your cooperation within the Union is strengthening every year, and the fact that Accounts Chamber President Alexei Kudrin is the Chairman of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, will allow developing and strengthening interactions with international organizations.

Cooperation is crucial indeed. In general, it is difficult to imagine the development of an economic union without frontal cooperation of national authorities. In this sense, today’s meeting and the fact that there is institutional cooperation established between the audit chambers is pleasing and important for the development of our economic community. This is another event that comes to prove that the integration development is taking place in a frontal manner, which is very important.

As Chairman of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission, I can assure you that we highly appreciate and keep in focus the results of the joint activities carried out by Supreme Financial Audit Institutions.

Your proposals and recommendations provide us with objective information for effective budget planning and spending, as well as for timely and correct distribution of customs duties. Also, the topic is quite complicated, because the distribution of customs duties, as you may know, is not just a mathematical formula.

We laid down the basic economic principles in this topic. It was discussed in great detail for about a year. This year we came to a specific formula, which outlines not only mathematical implications, but also the actual level of the participants’ economic development. That is, many factors relevant for our economies are taken into account in this sense.

Dear guests,

I would like to wish us all fruitful and successful proceedings, and after all a pleasant stay in Armenia. In conclusion, I want to thank you once again for attendance and wish you all all the best.

Thank you.”