Acting CEO of Electric Networks of Armenia dismissed for loss of trust-interim administrator

YEREVAN, July 21. /ARKA. Acting Director General of CJSC Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) David Gazinyan will be dismissed from his position, no mass resignations are planned, said ENA interim state administrator Romanos Petrosyan.

"It is not an option for David Ghazinyan to remain (in office) because it was this official who led ENA to this situation. His temporary powers were already suspended on Friday... I urge Ghazinyan to write a letter of resignation, because my first order will be to dismiss him for loss of trust," Petrosyan told reporters on Monday outside the ENA headquarters in Yerevan.

He stated that no mass layoffs are currently planned, but resignations are expected among top managers, “among specific individuals whose management led to this situation and forced the state to take preventive measures.”

“ENA CJSC affects the quality of life of more than 3 million people and has 1.1 million subscribers, and these individuals led to this situation. Any kind of possible sabotage among employees is unacceptable and will be suppressed,” Petrosyan said.

Petrosyan promised to adhere to a transparent style of work, to communicate periodically with the mass media, in particular on issues related to the activities of ENA in previous years, including the organization of procurement and supply processes and factors affecting tariff processes.

"My powers are established by a number of laws, including the law regulating this body, the Energy Law, and as the interim manager of Armenia's electricity networks, I will perform my duties within the scope of my immediate powers for the benefit of Armenia and its citizens. My arrival at work today is due to the process of registering documents with the State Registry Agency of the Ministry of Justice for the full implementation of my powers, which was done this morning," Petrosyan said.

On July 18, Mesrop Mesropyan, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), appointed Romanos Petrosyan as interim manager of Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC.

The day before, Petrosyan was dismissed from his position as head of the State Supervision Service.

The Electric Networks of Armenia is part of the Tashir Group of Companies, owned and managed by Russia-based billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. It operates medium and low voltage distribution networks in Armenia, serving about 1 million subscribers.

Since 2016, the Tashir Group is said to have invested about $680 million in the modernization of Electric Networks of Armenia alone, with another $150-200 million invested in the creation of new capacities.

Samvel Karapetyan was arrested in Armenia on June 18 on charges of publicly calling for the seizure of power after a meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan then announced shortly afterwards a plan to nationalize ENA, stating that the process would be carried out in accordance with legislation.

On July 3, 2025, the Armenian parliament adopted government-initiated amendments to certain laws allowing the facility's nationalization

Romanos Petrosyan is a member of the board of the ruling Civil Contract party, created and led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

In June 2018, he was appointed governor of the Kotayk region, then from July 2020 to August 2021, he served as Armenia's Minister of Environmental Protection.

From December 2021, Petrosyan held the position of head of the State Supervision Service. -0-