PRESIDENT: AGREEMENT ON RUSSIAN GAS SUPPLY IN ARMENIA EXCLUSIVE
ARKA
Sep 23, 2008
YEREVAN, September 23. /ARKA/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, called the agreement
signed between Russian and Armenian presidents on Russian gas import
in Armenia exclusive.
"The agreement is exclusive because of exclusive relations between
Armenia and Russia and our strategic partnership. Otherwise new prices
wouldn’t be comprehensible to our population", he said.
The official information about the agreement came on September
16. Karen Karapetyan, director general of ArmRosgasprom, and Alexey
Miller, chairman of Gasprom OJSC’s directorial board, who met last week
in Yerevan, stressed the extraordinary importance of this agreement.
Under the contract, Russian gas for Armenia will cost $154 per 1,000
cubic meters with VAT from April 1, 2009, instead of the present $110
with VAT.
>From April 1, 2010, gas price will be $200 for 1,000 cubic meters
with VAT and 169.5 without VAT.
Karapetyan said that the new price won’t strike at consumers and
business’ productive competitiveness, since it will be raised with
taking into account fluctuation in currency exchange rates.
He also said that the price will be raised in April, not January. This
will enable the market to adapt to the coming increase.
"In the future, gas price will be driven up gradually, and the
increase dy namics will be adequate to Russian. When Russia accomplish
transition to market prices, Armenia will do it as well", Karapetyans
said adding that the Armenian-Russian agreement creates favorable
environment for market.
The contract implies a gradual increase of gas price in 2009 and 2010.
Gasprom’s press office said that the company, taking into account its
close cooperation with Armenia, affirmed its interest in development
of Armenian gas market.
This is connected with the fact that Gasprom is the major shareholder
of Armrosgasprom. Besides the company not only sells gas to Armenia,
but also participates in conveying it to the republic and distributing
it here.
Armenia’s energy sector completely depends on gas import.
Gasprom resumed gas export to Armenia in July 2003 and is now the
sole gas supplier to the country.
Gasprom Export, whose parent company is Gasprom, conveys gas to
the border.
On the border, gas is bough by ArmRosgasprom.
In 2007, Gasprom provided 2.05 billion cubic meters of natural gas
to consumers.
On March 31, 2006, Gasprom and Armenian Government signed a gas supply
agreement intended for 25 years, RIA Novosti News Agency reports.
In that agreement, price for Russian natural gas for Armenia was set
at $110 per 1,000 cubic meters until January 1, 2009.
The contract implies handover of the government-owned fifth energy
block of Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant and some gas facilities to
ArmRosgasprom.
Gasprom will have two third in ArmRosgasprom’s authorized capital at
investment stage.
ArmRosgasprom was established in December 1997.
Gasprom and Armenian Energy Ministry held 45% of the company’s shares
each and the remaining 10% belonged to Itera.
In November 2006, Gasprom’s share in ArmRosgasprom’s authorized
capital grew to 67.94%.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress