Pashinyan on Gas Prices and Armenian-Russian Relations

Negotiations regarding the price of gas supplied to Armenia are ongoing, and the Prime Minister of Armenia hopes that the issue will be resolved within a year.

In an interview with Russian TASS, Nikol Pashinyan ruled out that this issue is merely related to Armenian-Russian relations, but also a question of general regulation within the EAEU area, since the essence of the union is the creation of a unified economic space.

“In order for this unified economic space to thrive, the prices of energy resources which play a crucial role in pricing of products must be equitable and close to one another,” Pashinyan stated.

Speaking about the existing agenda in Armenian-Russian relations, Pashinyan indicated that it is very important for all sectors of Russian society to understand the reasons and preconditions behind the revolution that took place in Armenia.

“Unfortunately, many expert circles in Russia are still trying to classify what happened in Armenia as part of the so-called ‘color revolutions.’ However, it is crucial for our friends and partners in Russia to understand that what occurred has no geopolitical context and that no foreign power was involved in the process,” Pashinyan said.

He characterized this issue as a matter of dignity for Armenia and for himself personally. This, according to Pashinyan, is akin to someone using Armenia for their geopolitical needs.

The other issue, as stated by Pashinyan, is that Armenia seeks to be reliable for its partners, whom it considers trustworthy. Partners whom the Armenian side does not deem reliable still need to be evaluated on whether they are worth being considered partners at all.