ArmInfo. Khachatur Sukiasyan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract party and a leading businessman, assures that Armenia has a cheaper alternative to Russian gas.
Speaking to journalists during the parliamentary election campaign, he urged citizens to remain calm and not to worry about a possible price increase by Russia. "Rest assured, we have cheaper offers than today's final gas price for consumers. And these offers have been around for a long time," he assured.
When asked where the gas is coming from, Sukiasyan said he couldn't say, as he hadn't heard about it in Armenia or from the Armenian authorities. He also assured that it wasn't Azerbaijani gas. "In another country, they told me they're ready to supply us with gas, and these actions are ongoing. I have no right to talk about this," the ruling party representative added.
He stated that there is a willingness to supply gas, including through cooperative arrangements. He then suggested that journalists study Georgia's experience in this regard: specifically, from whom it purchases, at what prices, and the final cost to consumers is. He added that Armenia is the only country where the domestic markup is 120%. However, he didn't mention that this markup is set by the Armenian regulator, the Public Services Regulatory Commission, and that the Armenian authorities have the power to change it by reducing taxes.
It should be added that this markup also includes capital investments related to the country's gasification. Armenia's current gasification rate is approximately 95-96%, making the country a world leader in this indicator and first within the CIS. More than 700,000 individual subscribers and over 14,000 organizations are connected to the gas distribution system. It should be noted that the company's total investment for 2026-2030 alone will amount to 150,346.91 million drams (excluding VAT).
According to Gazprom-Armenia, the key areas of the investment program include: expansion and overhaul of the Abovyan underground gas storage station; overhaul of the gas transmission system; investments in ancillary activities of the gas transmission system; work and activities to connect new subscribers to the existing gas supply system; investments in ancillary activities of the gas distribution system; and investments aimed at implementing the Program for Providing the City of Yerevan with Additional New Gas Supply Capacity.
Relations between Moscow and Yerevan have become strained amid Armenia's European integration efforts. President Vladimir Putin previously stated that Armenia would have to choose between the EU and the EAEU. Pashinyan, however, asserted that leaving the EAEU is not currently on Yerevan's agenda.
