ARMENIA ENTERS THE FIRST THREE IN THE WORLD BY VOLUMES OF GASIFICATION

ArmInfo
2009-01-19 11:07:00

ArmInfo. Meeting of the Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan
and Dmitry Medvedev was held upon completion of ‘gas summit’ in Moscow
on January 17.

As the Armenian presidential press service told ArmInfo today,
D. Medvedev expressed gratitude to his Armenian counterpart for
participation in the summit. The presidents highly evaluated the state
of bilateral relations as reliable and worthy of the two countries’
strategic interaction. RF president said the Armenian-Russian relations
are at much more profitable level than the issues discussed before
the presidents’ meetings. In particular, D. Medvedev emphasized that
despite sharp rise in prices for the Russian gas in 2009 for Armenia,
no problems appeared in this direction.

For his part, the Armenian president emphasized importance of
cooperation of Armenia with Russia and "Gazprom" in energy sphere in
a long-term prospect.

S. Sargsyan emphasized that the volumes of gas consumption
increased three times over the recent years and the republic
holds the leading positions by gasification volumes not only in
CIS but in the whole world. S. Sargsyan and D. Medvedev agreed
that frequent high- level meetings allow to solve even the most
insignificant problems of bilateral relations. To note, Armenia
imported 2,5 bln cub m of gas from Russia in 2008. The Russian gas
is imported by ‘ArmRusgazprom’ CJSC where 75,55% of shares belong
to ‘Gazprom’, 20% – to the government of Armenia and 4,44% – to
‘Itera’ group of companies. Presently, Armenia has been gasified
by 93%, and the republic enters the first three in the world by
this indicator. Moreover, Armenia takes the first place in the
world by gasification volumes among the countries with no own gas
reserves. Started April 1, 2009, the Russian gas will cost for Armenia
$165 per 1,000 cub m instead of $110 in 2008.

Moreover, it is envisaged that started 2011, Armenia will pay for the
Russian hydrocarbon material at the European prices. "ArmRusgazprom"
CJSC has submitted the Company’s investment programme for 2009-2011,
being currently under discussion, to the Public Services Regulatory
Commission for approval, 5 bln drams of them – to the gas transport
system and 5,8 bln drams – to the gas distribution system. 37,1 bln
drams will be invested in different projects, including reconstruction
and extension of the underground gas storage, completion of the
engineering infrastructure of Iran- Armenia gas pipeline, testing
of the gas pipeline and reconstructive measures, completion of the
principal gasification programme, implementation of the gasification
programme on social-economic development of near-border regions,
as well as continuation of the programme of installation of security
systems (signal devices, isolating valves).