Non-Ruling Parties Propose Creating Commission to Investigate Gas Contracts

Hoping to get answers to some questions concerning the gas contracts signed between Armenia and Russia, non-ruling parliamentary parties propose establishing a temporary parliamentary commission. This was stated by secretary of the Armenian National Congress faction Aram Manukyan in the National Assembly today. The gas contracts refer to the price of gas purchased from Russia, the term of the agreement between the two countries, and the sale of ArmRosGazprom shares to Gazprom.

Manukyan said the gas tariffs contracts are the most opaque transactions, which were kept secret from both the public and the National Assembly. According to the opposition MP, there are many documents and 23 contracts that the government concealed.

Manukyan said the parliamentary commission will try to get answers to the following questions: how did the $300 million debt to Russia accumulate? How was the difference between the price of gas purchased from Russia and the price offered to the consumer determined?

The HAK MP stated that the commission will be represented by several political parties and after its work, it will present a report to the National Assembly.

After listening to Maunkyan, parliamentary speaker Hovik Abrahamyan said it would've been appropriate for the parliamentary majority (that is, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia) also to have been informed of the proposal. Manukyan, in turn, said that the Republican Party of Armenia has proven that it is not interested in "disclosing those opaque contracts." Manukyan recalled that the ruling party voted in favor of ratifying the gas contracts.