YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The National Institute of Standards and the National Institute of Metrology are merged into one structure. Based on the Armenian government’s decision, that structure will be called a National Body for Standardization and Metrology CJSC.

Acting Director of the National Institute of Standards and the National Institute of Metrology Albert Babayan told a press conference in Armenpress that the merger of these two structures is aimed at making their activities more effective.

“Thanks to the merger it would be possible to optimally use the material database, the resources existing in the two structures. As a result the maintenance costs of both structures will be saved and directed for raising the efficiency of their operation”, he said. Babayan said the structure is going to carry out major works to upgrade the old standards, the metrology database and intensify the cooperation with the business. “Armenia is an EAEU member, and the demands for quality are defined by single procedures”, he said.

As for the outdated standards, Albert Babayan said they have demands set by inter-state standards which have not been revised since 1994. “This year we have carried out works to develop standards and later include them in the EAEU technical regulations. Based on the proposal of manufacturers and NGOs we have developed a standard for fruit vodka with a view to reflect the qualitative demands of our producers in a right way. The technical regulation on alcoholic drinks will enter into force in 2021 and we will try to include the standard developed by us in that regulation in order to guarantee the interests of our producers in the EAEU space as much as possible”, he said.

Albert Babayan highlighted the activeness of the business. He said they want to develop a culture for the business to be active, come up with proposals for developing standards and be engaged in that development process.

Every year the government holds award ceremony in the field of quality. Those companies, whose works have been evaluated by the working group of the National Institute of Standards and the agency, are being selected. This year 10 companies representing food industry, healthcare, beverages production will be awarded.

Babayan said according to the recent trends, the number of business companies operating in Armenia in accordance with the standards has increased. Thanks to these standards the business organizes its production more effectively, along with also being competitive. This year the introduction of the ISO international standard was unprecedented which speaks about the activeness of the export process. This year an unprecedented growth in the export of wines to the EU states has been registered. Last year 221 thousand bottles of wine were exported from Armenia to the EU, but according to the results of 10 months of this year, this number is 281 thousand.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan