ACCORDING TO "HAYOTS ASHKHARH", RUSSIA MAY CARRY OUT "GAS RE-ARRANGEMENT" WITH IRAN
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Under conditions of newly strained
relations between Russia and Georgia, Armenia can insure itself
against a gas blockade and at the same time to counterbalance its
transport-related dependence on Georgia by the prospect of increasing
the energy dependence of that country.
This is said in the November 2 issue of the daily "Hayots Ashkharh"
when summarizing the RA President Robert Kocharian’s working visit
to Moscow.
According to the newspaper, given the speedy operation of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipleline and prospect of passing ArmRusgazprom’s
control package of shares (from 45 to 58%) to Gazprom, it is not
difficult to conclude that the Russian side is trying to use the
version "re-arrangement of the functions" of the gas pipelines running
into the South Caucasus. "That is, Armenia will receive gas from Iran,
while in all likelihood Russians will offer Georgia to pay a twice
as high price," the daily writes. According to "Hayots Ashkharh",
in the coming months Armenia may "be more frank" in the issue of
suspending the construction of Kars-Akhalkalak railway scheduled
to start in January 2007, i.e. it will get an extra leverage of
pressure on Georgia. Noting that despite the serious signals regularly
received from Russia, Armenia managed to move the Javakhk factor
out of the Russian-Georgian confrontation field, "Hayots Ashkharh"
concludes that now by starting the Kars-Akhalkalak construction, it
is Georgia rather than Armenia will face the temptation to "arouse"
the Javakhk factor and play it against itself.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
