Saturday, January 26 2019 13:31

ArmInfo.The development of a coordinated energy policy, implying the "resolution of the sensitive issue of energy pricing", will become the priority of the Armenian  presidency of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which began on January 1.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this yesterday speaking  at the headquarters of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the  regulatory body of the EAEU.As Kommersant Publishing House writes,  this year the smallest EAEU country, Armenia, occupies a key place in  the organization. First, Tigran Sargsyan retains the post of head of  the EEC board (in 2020, someone else will take it). Secondly, on  January 1, Yerevan became the chairman of the EAEU. "Taking advantage  of this opportunity, Yerevan plans to promote a number of initiatives  useful to it. Their Nikol Pashinyan yesterday listed in his  correspondence address to other leaders of the Union countries.  Critics of the organization in the text of the speech were  sufficient." It is necessary to intensify efforts aimed at  implementing a coordinated energy policy and early resolving the  sensitive issue of energy pricing and their transit through the  territories of the EAEU countries on a non-discriminatory basis,  "said . Pashinyan. 

He also called it important the task of "strengthening the level of  trust within the union," the author writes"Commersant" reminds that  pricing in the market of energy resources, and especially gas, is an  extremely painful topic for Yerevan. Considering that there is no  central heating in the republic, in the winter, paying gas bills is a  significant part of the expenses of Armenian families."At the end of  last year, Nikol Pashinyan actively discussed this issue with Russian  President Vladimir Putin, hoping to achieve a more favorable tariff.  However, from the beginning of 2019, the price, on the contrary,  increased from $ 150 to $ 165 per 1,000 cubic meters, albeit for the  end user it remained the same - so the new government avoided a blow  to the rating. Answering journalists' questions yesterday, Mr.  Pashinyan made it clear that he plans to continue negotiations on  this issue and even expand them. "In 2019, we are not raising prices  for consumers. In fact, this means that we have a year to continue  consultations with our colleagues in Russia and within the framework  of the EAEU in order to resolve this issue in the long term. Of  course, it is better that this issue be resolved within the framework  of the EAEU, because this is a more correct approach, since we are  talking about a common economic space, "said Pashinyan.

After the speech at the headquarters of the EEC, Nikol Pashinyan, as  the ID writes, went to meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry  Medvedev. But this time he did not see Vladimir Putin."The agenda of  Mr.  Pashinyan's yesterday's visit is more economics and less  politics, as a whole corresponds to his pre- election promises. He  repeated the slogan about the" economic revolution "in an interview  with Euronews television channel, which he gave in Davos. <It's  necessary to turn our political revolution into an economic  revolution. To this end, we plan to simplify the existing regulations  as much as possible in order to open our economic sector, "the  Armenian Prime Minister said.The fact that the "velvet revolution" in  May 2018, the leader of which was Nikol Pashinyan himself, should be  considered an exceptionally positive event, the Armenian prime  minister also assured "Commersant". Answering the question whether he  has any associations between the events of the past year in Armenia  and the latest events in Venezuela, the Prime Minister said that such  a comparison is incorrect. "Fortunately, we did not have any clashes  and victims, and in Venezuela, unfortunately, there are victims," he  noted.

 "The first impression is that there (in Venezuela. -" Commersant ")  not everything goes according to constitutional logic". Mr. Pashinyan  added that the transfer of power in Armenia <one hundred percent  complied with the procedures provided for by the legislation and the  constitution>. "Any decision must first be acceptable to the people  of Venezuela," he concluded. There were no doubts that his coming to  power as a result of street protests was acceptable to the people of  Armenia, the politician didn't have, "Commersant" concluded.