Expert: After membership in the EAEU Armenia from the consumer state can become an exporting state of electricity

ArmInfo. After membership in  the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia from the consumer state can turn  into an exporting state of electricity, as accession to the EESP  opens up new capabilities.

This was stated by the senior researcher  of the Department of Regional and International Studies of the  Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of  the Republic of Armenia, member of the Eurasian expert club Armen  Manvelyan during the round table "The role of the expert and  educational community of Armenia in the development of Eurasian  economic integration".

"Joining such a powerful organization in the energy plan as the EAEU  will provide the country with energy resources at relatively low  prices and will provide an opportunity to export electricity to this  market," he said.

Manvelyan recalled that on January 1, 2015, the agreement on the  Eurasian Economic Union came into force, within which the energy  component of this cooperation was separately stipulated. According to  him, the Unified Energy System is not the first union, in which the  energy factor becomes the locomotive for cooperation, and it is the  energy sector that facilitates the accession of interested states to  this union. "The creation of the common energy market of the EAEU is  becoming a strategic goal of this union, which gives an additional  attraction to this association for other states and not only the  former Soviet republics. The common energy space makes it possible to  coordinate the energy policy of the member states of this  association, and this, in turn, opens new opportunities for the  development of energy production in the field and the creation of  competitive markets to attract additional resources and technologies  energy development, in turn, increases the possibility of creating  and developing an energy security system not only within the  framework of one state, but also with the active involvement of other  EAEU member states interested in creating a common energy security  system, "he stressed. Manvelyan also stressed that the integration of  energy markets will provide an opportunity to increase the export and  import of electricity to the EAEU countries, this perspective is very  important for Armenia, since having the opportunity to produce  electricity not only for own consumption, but also for exports,  including to the country The EAEU, Armenia is deprived of this  opportunity due to weak economic relations, especially in the  electric power industry, with the member states of the Union and  because of the blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey. The creation of a  common electricity market gives Armenia a unique opportunity to  export surplus electricity to this market and start mutually  beneficial trade with all members of the EAEC. He recalled that for  this purpose, for example, the North-South project is also being  implemented to increase the export of electricity to the EAEU  countries, which will increase the possibility of electricity  exports, and this project is strategically beneficial not only to  Armenia but also to other members of the Union, as it opens a unique  opportunity to export electricity through Armenia to Iran and other  countries of the region. And Armenia, having the opportunity to  export electricity, will be able to partly compensate for the energy  deficit that exists in some countries of the EAEU. It is also planned  that in 2018 the construction of the power transmission line  "Armenia-Georgia" will be completed, at the first stage it will  ensure the exchange of electric power up to 350 MW, increasing it to  2021 to 700 MW. And the construction of the 3rd power line towards  Iran is planned to be completed by 2018: "Thus, as a result of the  exploitation of these capacities, the North-South energy corridor can  be fully earned, which will allow Armenia to increase the scale of  cooperation with other members of the EAEU and be a full-fledged  player This mutually beneficial cooperation strengthens the  foundation of the EAEU in the field of energy, and a successful start  of the electricity market will be a good basis for deepening  cooperation in the field of energy. energy and the basis for further  development of the energy market in the field of gas, oil and oil  products, "Manvelyan said.

Thus, the expert stated, joining the EAEU  gives a new breath to the energy industry of Armenia - the country  from the energy consuming state turns into an energy producer and an  exporter. And such a perspective changes the role of Armenia's energy  sector, as a result, it can become a locomotive for economic  development in the republic as a whole. It should be noted that the  roundtable was organized by the Eurasian Economic Commission, the  Eurasian Expert Club, the Research and Analytical NGO "Integration  and Development" and the Noravank Foundation.