ArmInfo. A protocol on amendments to the Agreement between the Governments of Russia and Armenia on cooperation in supply of natural gas, oil products, and rough diamonds to Armenia has been submitted to the State Duma for consideration, according to the website of the Russian Federation Cabinet of Ministers.
The protocol looks to remove the rough diamonds from the Agreement's scope of regulation, as Armenia joined the Treaty of the Eurasian Economic Union dating May 29 2014. In addition, in the protocol, the Government suggests a final list of the oil products subject to tax-free supply from Russia to Armenia. The Government of Russia approved the protocol on March 24 2016.
At present, the gas price for Armenia is 165 USD per 1,000 cu m. This price may be reduced to 145 USD-146 USD per 1,000 cu m. In case of the final agreement, the new gas price will be made public in the course of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Armenia on April 7-8.
In 2015, according to the indicative balance, Russia supplied 136.2 thsd tons of duty-free petroleum to Armenia, including 120 thsd tons of Russian-made petroleum. The deputy minister added that in 2015 Armenia received 150 thsd tons of Russian-made diesel fuel, 47 thsd tons of fuel for jet engines, (including 8 thsd tons of Russian-made fuel), 29.2 thsd tons of Russian-made oil tar for bitumen production, as well as 2.5bln cu of gas. The indicative balance for every year is approved under the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Agreement dating back to Dec 2 2013.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has the intergovernmental deal on sales of gas, oil and diamonds to Armenia on June 30 2014. Customs fees for the products will be lifted before Armenia joins the Eurasian integration space. Russia will not allow re-exporting them to other countries. The competent agencies of the sides set quotas for duty-free exports of gas and oil products to Armenia before the start of each calendar year.