Russia still silent about new natural gas price for Armenia: minister
04.04.2011,
23:32
Armenia’s energy and natural resources minister Armen Movsisyan said today Russian Gazprom did not say yet how much it is going to charge for one 1000 cubic meters of gas it sells to Armenia.
YEREVAN, April 4. / ARKA /. Armenia’s energy and natural resources minister Armen Movsisyan said today Russian Gazprom did not say yet how much it is going to charge for one 1000 cubic meters of gas it sells to Armenia.
Speaking at a parliament Q&A session he recalled that after the talks in Russian St. Petersburg last month Armenian and Russian presidents reached an agreement that the price for Armenian households will not change this year even if Gazprom raises the price for its subsidiary ArmRosGazprom (ARG). The parliament discussed today a proposal to set up an ad hoc commission to make an inquiry into the gas deliveries to Armenia.
Robert Nazarian, head of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), said it did not receive any application from ARG operator regarding price change.
“I can say with certainty that gas is delivered to Armenian border now at $180 per one thousand cubic meters and if a change happens it must be registered by PSRC and only then it can be enforced,’ he said.
Some local experts claimed that prices for industrial enterprise will not change. Nazarian said Armenia enjoys one of the lowest prices of gas in Europe and CIS apart from Russia.
The cost of Russian gas shipped to Armenia rose by 14 percent in 2009 and by another 17 percent in 2001 April to $180 per thousand cubic meters. Following this the PSRC approved a 37.5 percent surge in the gas price for households requested by ARG.
Gazprom announced in September last year plans to gradually bring its gas fees for Armenia, Moldova and Belarus up to “market-based” international levels in the coming years. Gazprom currently sells gas to western and central European countries for over $300 per thousand cubic meters. ArmRosGazprom (ARG), Armenia’s e national gas distribution company is mostly owned by Gazprom. -0-
Speaking at a parliament Q&A session he recalled that after the talks in Russian St. Petersburg last month Armenian and Russian presidents reached an agreement that the price for Armenian households will not change this year even if Gazprom raises the price for its subsidiary ArmRosGazprom (ARG). The parliament discussed today a proposal to set up an ad hoc commission to make an inquiry into the gas deliveries to Armenia.
Robert Nazarian, head of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), said it did not receive any application from ARG operator regarding price change.
“I can say with certainty that gas is delivered to Armenian border now at $180 per one thousand cubic meters and if a change happens it must be registered by PSRC and only then it can be enforced,’ he said.
Some local experts claimed that prices for industrial enterprise will not change. Nazarian said Armenia enjoys one of the lowest prices of gas in Europe and CIS apart from Russia.
The cost of Russian gas shipped to Armenia rose by 14 percent in 2009 and by another 17 percent in 2001 April to $180 per thousand cubic meters. Following this the PSRC approved a 37.5 percent surge in the gas price for households requested by ARG.
Gazprom announced in September last year plans to gradually bring its gas fees for Armenia, Moldova and Belarus up to “market-based” international levels in the coming years. Gazprom currently sells gas to western and central European countries for over $300 per thousand cubic meters. ArmRosGazprom (ARG), Armenia’s e national gas distribution company is mostly owned by Gazprom. -0-
