The Kremlin warned on Monday that Armenia could lose the “very attractive” price it pays for Russian gas if it moved away from integration with Russia and deepened ties with the European Union.
Armenia is a member of a Russian-led economic union and remains heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies. In recent years, however, it has pursued closer ties with the European Union, including adopting a law last year to begin its accession process to the bloc.
“There is a very, very attractive and more than preferential price for Russian gas,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about relations with Armenia.
“But, of course, such terms are not available to participants in other integration frameworks. There, the pricing structure is entirely different. It is market-based.”
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Armenia had no interest in severing political or economic ties with Russia.
“We want and will strive to preserve and deepen our normal relations,” Russian news agency Interfax quoted him as telling reporters in Yerevan on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of gas pricing during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in April, saying Yerevan paid $177.50 for 1,000 cubic metres of Russian gas that would cost more than $600 in Europe.
"The disparity is vast," Putin said.
The Russian leader also told reporters on 9 May that it would be “logical” for Armenia to hold a referendum on its aspirations to join the EU.
Armenia is due to hold a parliamentary election in June, pitting Pashinyan’s party against an array of opposition groups, many of them pro-Russian.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye ...
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that i...
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
The United Nations has urged sustained international engagement with Afghanistan five years into Taliban rule, warning that restrictions on women and terrorism concerns risk undermining gains from improved security.
Iran says the U.S. war and military presence in the region have worsened marine pollution around the Strait of Hormuz, calling for environmental protection to form part of future arrangements governing the strategic waterway.
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria, potentially reshaping regional power flows.
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that includes a collective defence clause.
Uzbekistan will allow eligible businesses to operate for up to three months without a licence or permit under a new regime aimed at cutting barriers to market entry and attracting investment.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment