ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN: IT IS WORRYING IN POLITICAL SENSE THAT ARMENIA’S ENERGY RESOURCES ARE COLLECTED IN RUSSIA’S HANDS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The deal connected with the increase in
the Russian gas tariffs should be considered from three viewpoints –
political, economic and social. Speaker of the RA National Assembly
Artur Baghdasarian stated this on April 10. In his words, it is
worrying in the political sense that Armenia’s energy capacities are
collected in Russia’s hand. It means that the regulatory function of
the Armenian state should be enhanced. In his opinion, the Armenian
laws allow the state to implement a proper control. On the other hand,
it also means the diversification of energy sources, whose objective
may be to attract the European Union and other donor organizations to
the Armenian energy market, which will make it possible to develop
small hydropower plants and wind energy. In the economic sense,
according to the NA Speaker, it is profitable that Russia will make a
direct investment of 600 mln USD in the Armenian economy. The current
foreign debt of Armenia is 1 bln USD. So taking another loan of 150
mln USD for relaunching of the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant’s 5th
unit is a “luxury for the country”. It is no less important from the
social point of view that the gas tariffs will be predictable until
2009 and there will be no increase in the electricity tariff.
