Armenia and Russia to join their efforts in combating illicit trafficking of counterfeit goods
The statement was signed on the sidelines of the fourth international forum "Anti-Counterfeit -2016” that kicked off on Tuesday in Yerevan. The document was signed by Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov and Armenian Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan.
According to Manturov, the national structures will be playing the decisive role in addressing the problem. He added also that the deepening integration between the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) makes formation of a common policy to address this problem more imperative.
‘The illicit trafficking of counterfeit goods is one of the most acute problems, causing direct damage to the economy of our countries. In Russia, counterfeit goods constitute from 5% to 30% of output depending on sector. This is a very serious damage to the economy," - said Manturov.
According to him, in a single economic space this problem may take even greater scale. He added that in order to prevent this from happening, all EEU member states should become the guarantor of the protection of their common market.
"Fighting illegal trade in counterfeit goods is essential for building a civilized market, improving the business and investment climate and promotion of creative activity. This subject is particularly important in the context of the deepening integration of the EEU. The free movement of goods across the single customs territory in the absence of state control complicates combating illicit trafficking of counterfeit goods. This requires concerted action ", - said Armenia’s Minister of Economic Integration and Reform Vache Gabrielyan.
The forum is a joint effort of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the International Association "Anti-Counterfeit» with the support of the Armenian government. - 0-