Armenian minister not serious about Azerbaijani SOCAR statement

YEREVAN, June 13. / ARKA /. Armenia’s energy and natural resources minister Armen Movsisyan said today he did not take seriously a statement by Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas company (SOCAR) that it could consider supplying gas to Armenia but only after the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

“If Armenia changes its position on the occupied territories, stands for resolving the conflict peacefully, through talks and within the Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, it may be involved in regional and global energy projects," SOCAR  said.

The minister also said talks with Russia on subsidizing by 30 percent the cost of Russian ages to Armenian households were in the final stage. 

The minister spoke also on possible increase in imports of Iranian gas to Armenia saying Tehran is not ready to sell gas to Armenia at a cheaper price than Russia. “The Iranian gas price is higher than the price set by Russia. Therefore, it cannot be an alternative in terms of the price,” the minister told reporters. Earlier he said Iran would not sell gas to Armenia less than at $370 per one thousand cubic meters. 

He said the capacity of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is 2.4 billion cubic meters a year while Armenia’s annual consumption is around 2 billion cubic meters.

Armenia’s Russian controlled ArmRosGazprom (ARG) is the only company dealing with import and distribution of Russian natural gas coming to Armenia from Russia via Georgia. It was established in 1997. Russian Gazprom holds  80 percent in it, the rest is owned by Armenian government. -0-