Tuesday, March 31 2020 16:21

ArmInfo. The new "gas negotiations" with Gazprom are logical in a situation when the  pricing of natural gas has already changed by 180 degrees and  continues to change from day to day. Economist Vahagn Khachatryan  expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.

On March 31, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan sent a  letter on behalf of the government to Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller  about the proposal to begin negotiations to reduce gas prices due to  the negative impact of coronavirus on the country's social and  economic development.

Yerevan suggests starting a discussion on the issue of reducing the  price of natural gas on the border of Armenia and Georgia, offering  the opportunity to pay in national currency. Armenia buys gas from  Russia at $ 165 per 1,000 cubic meters, while Armenian consumers pay  Gazprom Armenia $ 290 per 1,000 cubic meters.

"Previously, this situation was presented to us in such a way that  the lack of a proper level of relations between the governments of  Armenia and Russia hampered the reduction of gas prices for Armenia.  In other words, a political explanation was given. In the current  situation, it suddenly became clear that Gazprom was in a difficult  situation , from which Europe can no longer buy gas even at the  existing exchange price of $ 55 per 1000 cubic meters. The reason is  overflowing gas storages, "he said.

Thus, the reasons for raising questions about the price of gas for  Armenia, in his opinion, are quite justified and understandable.  Nevertheless, according to the economist, it would be more correct  for the Armenian government to understand the Gazprom's situation and  meet the needs of Russia in this matter. The main goal of  understanding should be that gas agreements between Armenia and  Russia should not be exclusively a way to line  their pockets at the  expense of the population of a friendly country.

According to Khachatryan, Armenia has always expressed its  willingness to pay for gas to Russia, however, at logical, reasonable  prices. Nevertheless, the annual December doomsday threatening to  raise the cost of gas for Armenia led to the constant linking of  relations between Moscow and Yerevan with the price of gas. In this  light, the economist sees in what is happening a good opportunity to  clarify the position between the two parties through non-public  negotiations.  "There is a tendency in the world of a long-term  decline in oil and gas prices. This process will clearly not be  short-term, being linked to the restoration of the global economy to  a pre-coronary state. There is no fast pace here. And most likely the  price of energy carriers will continue to fall. And this is a good  opportunity to secure our positions in gas negotiations with Moscow  and to prevent further abuse of Gazprom's monopoly position, "  Khachatryan summed up.