11/11/2014 19:26
Karen Chshmarityan: New ministry is set up for economic integration
The creation of a new ministry – Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reforms of the Republic of Armenia – is a justified step, first of all, because of the volume of work to be done, Armenian Minister of Economy Karen Chshmarityan told reporters in the parliament today.
“22 working groups are dealing with issues of a tariff policy, customs duties, etc., and only 6 of them are within Economy Ministry’s scope of powers. Various ministries are involved in the integration process as the agreement on Armenia’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) covers various spheres,” the minister noted.
According to him, some issues of representation shall also be solved. “All countries are duly represented in the EEU, and Armenia should also be represented,” he said.
When asked if Armenia was faced with the necessity of creating a new ministry, Chshmarityan replied: “No, Armenia made its choice. Huge work has to be done in numerous fields. It is a process initiated by the government”.
In response to the question of Aysor.am about the possible candidate for new minister, Chshmarityan found it difficult to answer. “I don’t know. You ask questions that I cannot answer. When the regulations are ready, everything will be clear,” the minister said.
It should be mentioned that rumors persisted today that the Armenian prime minister’s chief advisor Vache Gabrielyan will be appointed to that post.
“The new ministry is being set up for economic integration and will work in that direction,” Karen Chshmarityan said in conclusion.
The National Assembly of Armenia today approved – by 70 votes to 10, with 28 abstentions – the government’s draft document on amendments to the Law on Structure and Composition of the Government. The draft proposed merging Ministry of Territorial Administration and Ministry of Emergency Situations and also creating a Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reforms.