Authorities Claim Road Through Syunik Will Generate Billions in Revenue, Says Mesrop Arakelyan

The authorities, lacking mathematical understanding, are still insisting that the road through Syunik will bring us billions of dollars in revenue. This was stated by Mesrop Arakelyan, co-founder of the 'Living Country' party, on his Facebook page.

“Let’s understand how much revenue Armenia can earn as a transit country. Currently, the gas pipeline, oil pipeline, and railway from Azerbaijan to Turkey pass through Georgia, which receives revenues in return. From the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which carries about 80% of Azerbaijani oil, Georgia receives about $60 million in revenue. From the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, which carries nearly all of Azerbaijan's gas exports, Georgia receives 5% of the gas as a transit fee. In monetary terms, this amounts to about $200 million. Georgia's railway profits from transit cargo transportation amount to about $20 million.

As a result, Georgia receives approximately $280 million in revenue. Now let’s talk about Armenia. It is obvious that the same volume of oil and gas cannot pass through Armenia, considering that Azerbaijan's exports are almost entirely already going through Georgia. Moreover, it is economically almost impossible for there to be two transit routes to the same destination, namely Turkey or Europe. In any case, let’s assume that 25-30% of Azerbaijan's gas and oil exports will pass through Armenia, which would bring Armenia about $70 million.

In the case of the railway, it is possible that Armenia could be in a more advantageous position, and let’s assume that the entire volume currently traveling through Georgia will instead pass through Armenia. As a result, Armenia would receive about $90 million in income, of which half would go to the US and half would remain in Armenia. This $45 million would constitute 0.6% of the budgetary revenue, which would be enough to increase pensions by 3,000 drams,” he wrote.