VIDEO: Right-Hand Drive Vehicles Can Be Imported and Steering Systems Replaced in Armenia

At today's meeting of the Armenian government, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Bagrat Badalyan presented a draft to expand the list of goods permitted for import under the "Processing for Domestic Consumption" customs procedure to include light passenger vehicles.

He stated that this customs procedure would allow vehicles with right-hand drive steering systems to be imported into Armenia without re-equipping and to replace the right-hand steering system with a left-hand one. "After customs clearance, they can be registered with the Armenian police and freely operated within the territory of Armenia," Badalyan said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that they had completely prohibited the import of right-hand drive vehicles, which resulted in many citizens bringing them in and changing to left-hand drive in Georgia. "However, they can be brought in temporarily, change the steering configuration, after which registration is permitted for operation. We must note that during this time, they will not have the opportunity to operate; if they do operate, there will be issues with fines. Let's agree that we are accommodating, but we hope there will be no attempts at abuse," Pashinyan said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan expressed his belief that it is necessary to discuss whether they agree that modified vehicles will continue to be imported and operated in Armenia. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan added that it is important to understand what is happening: "I completely agree with Mr. Avinyan. We are essentially generating a potential accident risk in the form of moving property volumes in Armenia. If we do not certify, it will turn out that a large number of accidents are caused by unprofessional steering transfers," Grigoryan said.

Avinyan mentioned that a new deadline should be established after which right-hand drive vehicles cannot be operated at all. "Let’s agree that this batch will be allowed and that we will entirely close the path for such vehicles," Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

Head of the State Revenue Committee Davit Ananyan also mentioned that similar discussions were held at the end of last year, saying they would do this or that. "In other words, they are raising a simple and primitive question now, saying that a craftsman in Georgia earns this much money; don't you let our craftsmen work? So, we have essentially made a half-hearted decision and transferred money from Armenia to another country; we have made a poor decision," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister urged to determine a specific date from which the import of even modified steering vehicles would be banned and not to introduce any new initiatives: "It needs to be done quickly."