ARMENIA AND RUSSIA MUST COME TO ACCORD ON FIXED PRICE FOR GAS DURING COMING 10-15 YEARS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 4 2006

YEREVAN, April 4. /ARKA/. Armenia and Russia must come to an accord
on fixed price for gas during coming 10-15 years, as the Chairman of
the Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia Khosrov Harutyunyan stated
during the interview with the local “Armenia” TV-company.

“The fact that Russia raises the price for gas is not important today,
it could do this from pure economic viewpoint. In case with Armenia
the important thing is that Russia doesn’t want to see the difference
between its strategic partner and other consumers, which are not in
such allied relations and don’t have strategic agreements with Russia”,
Harutyunyan stated.

“Either Russia has unilaterally reconsidered the essence, content,
degree of its relations with Armenia or it proceeds along this path”,
Harutyunyan finds.

In his words, both of these cases must be taken as a reality and
don’t feel offended by Russia.

At the same time Harutyunyan finds that Armenia must take corresponding
steps, “in order gas price not to hang over it as sword of Damocles”.

“We must have principle approach to this problem and come to fixed
price for nearest 10-15 years”, he stated.