Andina

Peru, Armenia hold free trade talks

Headquarters of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lima. Photo: ANDINA/Archive

Headquarters of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lima. Photo: ANDINA/Archive

09:15 | Lima, Jan. 07 (ANDINA).

Peruvian Foreign Minister Eda Rivas and her Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian met in Lima on Monday to discuss the prospect of a free trade agreement between the two countries.

Other topics discussed at the meeting were the establishment of a political consultation mechanism and the mutual waiver of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports.

Moreover, the two ministers talked about the appointment of honorary consuls in both countries and Peru's interest in signing a free trade agreement with the Customs Union, formed by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Nalbandian arrived in Lima on Monday as Armenia's first foreign minister to visit Peru since the two nations established diplomatic relations in 1992.

During his stay, Nalbandian also met with the head of the Peruvian Congress' Committee on Foreign Affairs, Martin Belaunde Moreyra.

Customs Union

Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan founded the Customs Union in 2010 as a counterweight to the EU's economic sphere.

Its three member states launched the so-called Common Economic Space in 2012. They said the goal is to set up a Eurasian economic union modeled after the EU by 2015.

Meanwhile, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian recently announced that his country would complete all procedures to join the Russian-led Customs Union in 2014.

(END) NDP/MDV/CCR/EEP


Published: 1/7/2014