Free Democrats Party has disseminated a statement saying that Russia uses gas tariff to exert pressure on Armenia over progressing negotiations for the EU Association Agreement.
The authors of the statement say that the upcoming rise in the gas price is a political rather than economic problem that endangers the national security of Armenia.
"It is not a secret that gas has always been a political instrument for Moscow to exert pressure on external subjects. Moscow has been repeatedly using it against Armenia," the statement reads. Free Democrats alarm that the rise in the gas price will lead to price hikes and a new wave of migration from the country. The promised 30% subsidizing of the new gas tariff will not settle the problem, because the government will do it at the expense of the citizens.
Free Democrats Party urge the Public Services Regulatory Committee to reject ArmRusgaprom's application for revision of the gas tariff.
To recall, on May 14 ArmRusgasprom CJSC, the Armenian subsidiary of Gazprom OJSC, applied to the Public Services Regulatory Committee (PSRC) for revision of the effective tariff for gas for small consumers from 132 to 221,000 drams ($532) per 1000 cu m of gas. The tariff for big consumers (over 100000 cu m of monthly gas consumption) will be increased to $392.