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The Russian Federation is the main economic partner of the Republic of Armenia. At the beginning of 2020, the Member States of the Union faced unprecedented financial and social challenges related to the COVID-2019 coronavirus pandemic. The spread of the coronavirus infection resulted in the investment of mass quarantine measures in all states which led to the decline of economic indicators.

According to the statistical data, the foreign trade volumes between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia have decreased in 2020, nevertheless, the dynamic of mutual trade between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia has a positive direction:

•The trade turnover with the Russian Federation was 1,130,42 mln USD in January-July of 2020 which decreased compared with the same period of 2019 by 3,3% (the trade turnover in January-July 2019 was 1,168,73 mln USD).

•The export of products from Armenia to Russia was 327,26 mln USD in January-July of 2020 which decreased compared with the same period of 2019 by 16,9% (the export of products was 393,78 mln USD in January-July 2019). At the same time, alcoholic beverages, scrap and wastes of precious metals, diamonds, fresh and frozen fish, tomato, fruits (apricot, cherry and peach) and chocolate mainly were exported to Russia.

•The import of products from Russia to Armenia, taking into consideration the index of the origin country was 803,16 mln which increased compared with the same period of 2019 by 3,6% (the import of products was 774,96% mln USD in January-July 2019). At the same time the natural gas, oil products, non-processed aluminum, gold, wheat, meslin, sunflower seed oil and turmeric oil.

The bilateral trade-economic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia highlight the activities and development for free economic zones. The Republic of Armenia especially emphasizes the development of cooperation with the Russian companies in this sphere and the joint more active work with the possible investors of the Russian Federation. One of those zones is the production, industrial and logistic free Meghri economic zone which functions in the spheres of agriculture, processing industry, trade, supply of energy, transportation and storage, professional and technical activities, culture, tourism, entertainment and rest.

In the frameworks of bilateral relations great importance is also given to the cooperation in the sphere of transport. The Russian Federation, particularly plans to reconstruct the Upper Lars checkpoint, reaching its capabilities in average daily 2560-2800 transport means. After the reconstruction the quantity of the passengers and transportation will increase.

The cooperation in the sphere of railway transport was positively assessed. Two new modern electric trains, as well as 40 new semi-wagons were obtained for qualitatively improving the suburban passenger transportation.

The coronavirus pandemic showed how the digital technologies in the modern world penetrated into our life. In the context of pandemic, to ensure the free and safe movement of the citizens of the Union countries within the frameworks of the integration unification, ‘Travel without Covid-19’ project has been worked out which includes network of reliable laboratories and mechanism of the confirmation for the implemented test results.

This supplement is an effective tool, and its problem is to simplify the order of the movement between the member states for the residents of the Union states, at the same time providing the maintenance of the functioning requirements.

In the frameworks of the project, at this phase works are carried out in the Republic of Armenia for the creation of the national electronic register of the service suppliers to provide COVID-19 diagnostic medical aid, which will become a key basis for all further steps of the project implementation process.