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.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent&...
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign ...
More than 20 hospitals and health centres in Gaza could lose a key source of fuel from 19 September, according to the Strip's Health Ministry....
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Swedes vote in an election on Sunday (13 September) that could see the far-right enter government for the first time if the country's right-wing parties can form a majority.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
More than 20 hospitals and health centres in Gaza could lose a key source of fuel from 19 September, according to the Strip's Health Ministry.
Natural gas supplies from Russia to Armenia will be temporarily suspended for 11 days while planned maintenance and repair work is carried out on a pipeline in Russia, the Armenian subsidiary of Russian state energy firm Gazprom has said.
Saudi Arabia’s outbound travel market could surge from around $35 billion to more than $60 billion by 2030-2034, driven by a young generation of high-spending travellers and intensifying competition among global destinations.
Uzbekistan’s first permanent contemporary art institution has opened in a historic 1912 building in Tashkent, transforming a former tram depot and diesel power station into a new cultural hub for the region.
Uzbekistan plans to introduce a new Heritage Impact Assessment system to shield historic cities and cultural heritage sites from the potential impact of construction and infrastructure development. Digital tools will also be used to manage tourist numbers and limit visitors where necessary.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment