Armenia is not a player that could be able to demonstrate the radical stance in the territory, for which Russia may use the factor of gas as a tool to suppress Armenia, – this was the opinion of the Deputy of ARF faction Artsvik Minasyan in a conversation with Aravot.am, in reply to our question as to selling 20% of Armenian share of ArmRusGasArd to “Gazprom”, and becoming the 100% owner, whether it will not be subjected to certain economic or political pressures. Mr. Minasyan said that the external security dependence of Armenia from Russia is so great that it will not use the factor of gas. “The transaction of selling 20% of share is a project of economic profit, which certainly has a political consequence. In particular, when due to Armenia’s socio-economic deterioration, Armenia is becoming empty; it endangers the security of Armenia. Our government is to blame that it can not properly present a strategic partnership.” According to Artsvik Minasyan, Armenia should undertake maximum steps to increase the access of the Iranian gas to our country, which, in fact, will save the dependence on gas from Russia.
According to Mr. Minasyan,- “The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline allows to reach the volume of imported gas up to 2.2 billion cubic meters by 2026, which is totally enough to meet Armenia’s domestic demand, however, so far we import Iranian gas several times less than planned, and is not clear why.” The incomprehensibility of importing several times less gas, Mr. Minasyan justified with the fact that contractual requirements for both parties show different thing, but in reality, another thing is carried out. “I says incomprehensible, because the treaties that are signed between the Iranian gas supplying company and Yerevan HEC allow to import up to 1.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2010, 1.5 billion in 2010-12, and so on until it reaches to 2.2. But as the publications show, we import at least 3 times less gas. It is clear why, when the Iranian gas is converted to electricity and the exchange rate allows us to insist that Iranian gas cost AMD 70 cheaper for 1 cubic meter.”
Nelly BABAYAN
