“Some followed by fury that we succeeded to have such a good agreement, are trying to turn everything upside down and to present this as a bad,” said the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, at Congress of Voluntary Homeland Defenders Union (VHD) held on Saturday, referring to the sale of 20 percent share to ARG.
“Hence, where from do those about 300 million US dollars generate? If we had not run such long and hard negotiations we would have had to raise the price since 2011 and that 300 million would have been taken out of people’s pocket, the private sector’s pocket, the economy’s pocket etc.. We are yielded to the 50 percent of that amount. Thirdly, as for the 20 percent – why did they sell, they sold for cheap price etc.. I wonder what that 20 percent gave us. If we as a state have sold the 80 percent throughout these years, we might sell the 80 percent, while the 20 percent might not be sold? Is not it strange? Let anybody tell me what that 20 percent gave us and how many pennies of dividends it delivered. Or did that 20 percent give us an opportunity to appoint a director there or to do what, to influence upon decisions? Moreover, we do not need to be able to influence upon decisions because we have a very good legal field in that sphere and it is sufficient that a company be it Russian, American, Indonesian, will act in the framework of our laws and for our interest. As for the price of the 20 percent, I can now announce that if there is anybody who will pay 100 million US dollars, I am ready to negotiate with the Russian side, take back and give it to the man for that 100 million who will want that 20 percent,” continued the President.
In the conversation with Aravot.am, PAP MP Levon Khachatryan did not agree with the President’s observations. “In any institution, if you have a share, if this share delivers dividends, we need to think about its sale of which is profitable: to sell, or receive dividends continuously. Moreover, when it is a process of strategic importance. I do not know. It should be studied why it was not working for profit.” Our interlocutor reminds about the process held in the Parliament when the political majority rejected the proposal of the opposition to establish an ad hoc committee on “gas matters”, and then stated that it will be established by the initiative of the majority. “Let them do it, and the study will show which was the right thing to do. Anyway, I always think that the assets that we have put into the gas industry over the years: we have signed an agreement in 1998, and since then over 15 years we have implemented huge projects from the community and the state budget, and have supplied gas system throughout Armenia, why these assets were left frozen. I would have given these assets. I was told that they were in the balance of the government. What has the load to do in the government balance, which is operated by “Gazprom”? Does it deliver dividends to us for it, or not? Maybe, is was possible to give it for the debt. It is a matter of calculations and studies, and I think if the political majority really intends to establish a committee, we will get the answers.”
Nelly Grigoryan
