Russia will replace Armenian fruits and vegetables with Azerbaijani ones

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Relations with International Organizations for Achieving Sustainable Development Boris Titov stated Russia's intention to replace Armenian agricultural products with supplies from Azerbaijan.

He made the corresponding statement to a RIA Novosti correspondent on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“We will replace what we are losing in Armenia with Azerbaijan, because it is completely unambiguous that in agriculture Azerbaijan can do more and gives more than Armenia,” Titov emphasized.

According to his assessment, the Azerbaijani agricultural sector has higher potential and is capable of providing larger volumes of supplies, which makes it the preferred partner for the Russian side in the current conditions.

Commenting on the possible consequences of Armenia's accession to the European Union, Titov noted that this step would lead to serious economic upheavals for the population of the republic. Among other factors, he predicted economic instability and rising prices.

According to the Kremlin representative, negative changes will affect almost all spheres of life of the Armenian state. First of all, this will affect energy: currently the republic receives energy carriers at prices significantly lower than European ones, but after joining the EU the cost will inevitably equalize with the market indicators of the European Union. Similar processes will occur in the food sector — both external supplies of products and goods on the domestic market of Armenia will become more expensive. Titov emphasized that economic integration with the EU without a transition period and taking into account the existing ties with Russia will lead to a sharp decline in the living standards of Armenian citizens.