Regnum, Russia
April 14 2006

Armenian MP considers spreading of anti-Russian feelings to be
inadmissible

Deal on selling of Hrazdan TPS 5th energy unit by Armenian government
to Russian Gazprom is enough interesting, and its details are not
confidential and accessible to everybody, MP Armen Ashotyan stated
during a press conference on April 13. According to him, the deal was
repeatedly discussed by mass media, as well as by the parliament.

As a REGNUM correspondent informs, the MP expressed his
dissatisfaction with negative mood of opposition forces toward the
deal. `It is wrong to say sell of the 5th energy unit considerably
crippled Armenian statehood. All European countries depend to some
extent on Russian gas, but they have not lost their independence and
statehood,’ stressed Armen Ashotyan. According to him, buying of
Hrazdan TPS 5th by Russian side is not directed against Armenian
statehood, and `it is not worth to take one fact and to black
everything’. `It is inadmissible to spread anti-Russian feelings,’
stressed the Armenian MP.

Mentioning rumors, that Armenian authorities had sold part of
Iran-Armenia pipeline and because of that had robbed Armenia of
perspectives to become transit country in perspective, Armen Ashotyan
stressed, if Russia wishes, so without regard to everything, Iranian
gas will not get into Europe. `Gazprom possesses Ukrainian
gas-distributing systems’, he stressed, adding, if the company
wishes, it will always use the advantage.