Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

A protest against ArmRusgasprom company`s intention to raise the gas price sold to consumers was held outside the building of the Armenian government in Yerevan on May 16.

The Armenian authorities and the management of Armrusgazprom on that day agreed upon a price rise of up to 35 percent. Thus, for users consuming up to 10,000 cubic meters of gas per month each 1,000 cubic meters of gas will be sold for about 180,000 drams (about $430) instead of 132,000 drams.

The protest involved ordinary citizens, members of the Dashnaktsutyun party, Hello Yerevan bloc, the chairman of the Armenian Consumers Union, environmental activists, and others.

Member of Dashnaktsutyun Archvik Minasyan said that considering the close and high level relations between Armenia and Russia, a rise in the gas price is unacceptable.

Minasyan said that if the Armenian government cannot handle its relationship with a strategic partner in a way that the price of gas would not rise, then "they have no business" in the government.

Earlier, Armenian media reported that the price for Russian gas supplied to Armenia will reach $280 per 1,000 cubic meters and $320 from January 1, 2014. However, Armrusgasprom neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

Political analyst Arakel Semirjan believes that the rise of the gas price is intentional deception to start negotiations in order to reduce the price by 30 percent and to present this to the people as 'victory'.

"A certain part of the nation would be satisfied and the government would be able to say 'look what we are doing for the people," he said.

In turn, Chairman of the Union of Domestic Producers Vazgen Safarian told journalists that an increased gas price in Armenia would lead to considerable economic losses and a rise in inflation.