Epress.am News from Armenia
The response from Gazprom Armenia media relations officer Shushan Sardaryan refutes remarks made by RA Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan in Armenia's National Assembly yesterday, reports local daily Haykakan Zhamanak.
Abrahamyan yesterday said that because of a landslide in the North Caucasus on May 17, the supply of natural gas from Russia to Armenia was discontinued, and after the accident Armenia will meet its needs for natural gas by importing it from Iran. "It's been 4 days already that we haven't been getting gas from Russia, and the daily import of natural gas from Iran has reached 2 million cubic meters. For this part, I am seriously inclined toward and place great importance on our cooperation with Iran," said Abrahamyan, in response to a question from MP Alexander Arzoumanian.
Haykakan Zhamanak reports that this is a landmark announcement: it's not enough that Abrahamyan says that Armenia is importing gas from Iran to meet domestic needs — he also says that he is resolute in deepening relations with Iran.
The newspaper correspondent asked Shushan Sardaryan the following: "Is gas not supplied to Armenia from the Russian Federation because of damage to the Russia-Armenia pipeline? How are the gas demands of Armenian consumers satisfied? To what extent are they supplemented with gas reservoirs and gas from Iran?"
"At the moment, [natural] gas consumption in Armenia is about 3 million cubic meters a day. The gas received from Iran is directed to Yerevan’s TPP [thermal power plant] in quantities corresponding to contractual obligations. And the gas required by other consumers is supplied on account of the gas accumulated in gas reservoirs. Damage to the pipeline in no way affected the volume of gas supplied to consumers and the demand for gas is satisfied in full," said the Gazprom Armenia media relations officer.
According to the opposition newspaper, Sardaryan's response refutes Abrahamyan's statement and the situation still needs to be clarified.