Gagik Makaryan: Armenia still not ready to replace Turkish products in Russia

YEREVAN, December 3. /ARKA/. Armenia is still not ready to fill the gap that emerged at Russian market after Russia banned some imports from Turkey, Gagik Makaryan, the head of the National Union of Employers of Armenia said in an interview with Hayots Ashkhar. 

According to the newspaper, Russian sanctions against Turkey give new opportunities to Armenian producers. 

In recent days, the Armenian prime minister met with business people and called on them not to miss a chance to build up their exports to Russia. 

It is late to speak about export buildup this year, Makaryan said, since the season of procurements of milk and other agricultural products is already over.  

«Companies will not be able to increase the planned outputs, and agricultural products have already sold abroad in necessary volumes, and what is left in the country can hardly satisfy domestic demand,» he said in his interview. 

Some increase in export volumes is possible only by those producers having glut in stock for they have failed to sell their products to Russia because of devaluation of Russia's national currency.   

«However, this has no significant impacts on Armenian exports,» Makaryan said. «I find it possible to increase exports only by 20%.» --0---