Armenian opposition slams Russian gas price rise

Mediamax news agency
22 Mar 06

Yerevan, 22 March: The current state of Armenian-Russian relations was
discussed at the National Press Club today.

MP Shavarsh Kocharyan from the opposition Justice bloc said that
“Armenia and Russia have lost mutual understanding”, Mediamax
reports. He said that the problem caused by Russia’s decision to raise
gas prices is not an economic issue but results from Moscow’s desire
to continue its dominance over post-Soviet countries. “In the
meantime, Armenia’s future lies in integration into European
organizations,” Kocharyan said.

“Armenian-Russian relations have been forming on the basis of legends
for a long time. It is necessary to end emotional relations and pursue
a pragmatic policy with regard to Russia,” the MP said.

The leader of the Armenian Progressive Party, Ovanes Ovanesyan,
believes that “the myth about Armenian-Russian fraternal relations has
collapsed”. “As long as Armenia and Russia do not establish healthy
economic and political relations, we shall permanently come across
what we have now,” he said.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia, Aram Sarkisyan, said
that the Armenian authorities are to blame for this as they “have not
developed a doctrine for cooperation with Russia in due time”. “The
Armenian leadership has made itself dependent indefinitely by handing
over 80 per cent of Armenia’s energy system to Russia,” Sarkisyan
added.