Armenia's acquisition of market economy status from the US could open new opportunities for trade and investment, but the decision depends not on political agreements, but on a deep assessment of the entire economic system of the country.
As Tigran Jrbashyan, Head of Management Consulting Services at Ameria, stated in an interview with ARKA news agency, Armenia is significantly closer to obtaining Market Economy Status today than in the early 2000s. At the same time, the expert emphasized that the process requires fulfilling many conditions and preparing detailed answers to a complex list of questions.
According to Jrbashyan, the American side assesses not individual indicators, but the economy as a whole – from pricing and competition mechanisms to the level of government intervention and business transparency. Therefore, obtaining a new status is a lengthy procedure that can take a significant amount of time.
If Market Economy Status is granted, Armenian companies will be able to count on more favorable conditions when trading with the US, and the country will become more attractive for international investors and joint economic projects. However, as the expert notes, Armenia still has several assessment stages to go through before this process is completed.