Yerevan, June 8 - Neftegaz.RU. Presenting the program of his government to the extraordinary session of the National Assembly Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his country fellows do not feel the benefits of low price of natural gas purchased from Russia.
Earlier, Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Artur Grigoryan downplayed speculation that Armenia could buy cheaper natural gas from the neighboring Iran, saying Iran wants $165 per 1000 m3, while Armenia pays $150 for the same volume, saying also that Armenia’s national gas distribution company Gazprom Armenia invests $27-28 million in the upgrading of the facility.
Pashinyan said today that during his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Sochi in May he appreciated the fact that Russia sells gas to Armenia at a fairly low price, but added that Armenian households pay almost twice of that price.
«Today, our citizens do not feel that they receive cheap gas from Russia,» Pashinyan said to the National Assembly, noting that there are problems in this area that need to be resolved, mainly, inefficient management and corruption risks.
«I think that the Russian authorities also understand that we approach these issues with all seriousness and realize what is happening in Armenia,» Pashinyan said, noting that the government is also working towards a downward revision of electricity tariffs.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, in 2017 deliveries of Russian natural gas to Armenia increased by 7% to 1 billion and 996 million m3 and deliveries of natural gas from Iran grew by 2.9% to 382 million and 700 thousand m3. The total gas consumption in Armenia in 2017 increased by 5.3%.
Today, as part of gas for electricity swap deal Armenia converts the Iranian gas into electricity and ships it back to Iran.
To read the article in Russian.
