MINSK (Itar-Tass)–Armenia and the Belarus Republic signed two intergovernmental agreemen’s on free trade cooperation in the field of standardization–metrology–certification and accreditation.
The signing of these documen’s rounded off the work of the Intergovernmental Belarus-Armenian Commission for Commercial and Economic Cooperation–which met in Minsk on Tuesday.
Belarussian First Deputy Foreign Minister Valentin Velichko told Itar-Tass Wednesday that the Commission had considered also several other documen’s–which will most probably be signed in the near future.
They include agreemen’s to avoid dual taxation–indirect taxes–as well as an accord on customs policy.
According to Velichko–Belarus and Armenia are now laying a solid legal foundation to promote commercial and economic relations between the two countries.
"This is a very important phase of our cooperation," the deputy minister noted–adding that trade between the two countries had dwindled in recent years–dropping to almost zero.
He explained that trade exchange added up to slightly more than $2 million in the first eleven months of 1999. For Belarus this is one of the smallest figures in trade with countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Both Belarussian representative and the head of the Armenian delegation–Minister for Industry and Trade Karen Jshamarityan–stressed that the two countries were very much interested in the development of bilateral relations.
Armenia is interested in buying Belarus consumer goods–machinery–and agricultural products. In turn–while Belarus wants to get Armenian metal–rubber–as well as other natural resources.