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The US does not want to reckon with Armenia's need to conduct business with Iran
11:54, 30.12.2019
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The Armenian authorities are trying to neutralize the negative consequences that the economy may experience due to US sanctions against Iran. The US refused to make exceptions to sanctions against Iran for third countries. This also applies to Armenia. It was announced on December 19 at a briefing for foreign journalists by US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook.

Previously, the United States entered the position of Armenia and did not exert strong pressure on it on the Iranian issue.

"We impose sanctions in relation to any activity that is subject to sanctions. This is our policy, and it is applied in all cases, there are no exceptions to it, " he said, answering the question of how other countries in the region who want to build relations with Iran, such as Russia or Azerbaijan, can avoid US sanctions. It should be noted that some Armenian companies have already come under American sanctions due to cooperation with Iran.

Washington’s public pressure has put Yerevan in a difficult position: the Caucasian republic is trying to maintain good relations both with a distant superpower and with its southern neighbor, with whom it shares one of its two open borders (the other with Georgia; Azerbaijan and Turkey closed their borders) .

"We see Armenia as an important partner of the United States in the region, " the US Embassy in Yerevan reported by email. - In this regard, we have made it clear to the Armenian government and the private sector that we expect Armenia to fulfill its obligations as a member of the international community and break off ties with Iran, contributing to its efforts to destabilize the region and support terrorism. We have already said that our sanctions are not directed against Armenia, but against specific organizations around the world that help the Iranian regime finance or otherwise support its harmful activities. We say the same to all our partners regarding cooperation with Iran."

The trade turnover between Armenia and Iran is relatively small: in 2018, this figure was $ 364 million, but it was growing steadily. It is not known how financial restrictions affected trade. Economist and MP Artak Manukyan said that in the first quarter of 2019, exports to Iran decreased by 30% compared to the same period in 2018, while imports increased by the same 30%.

Iran has a free trade agreement with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union and seeks full membership in the organization, to which Armenia is also a member. "Trade [with Iran] is going well, " Manukyan said. - We also hope that Iran will become a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. Then we *** a partner [on the EAEU], with whom we have a common border, which will also give impetus to trade."

The Armenian government has repeatedly denied the pressure on it from the United States to change the policy of economic relations with Iran. This summer, after the introduction of regular US sanctions, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia does not see the "need to make any changes" to its policy regarding Iran. The US administration "understands our situation and politics, " he added.

As you can see now, Pashinyan was wrong. First of all, the significance of the whole of Armenia and its economy for the United States. The government should recognize that US sanctions against both Iran and Russia affect Armenia. Both countries are key trading partners of our state. The stronger the pressure on Russia and Iran, the worse for the Armenian economy.

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