Wednesday, May 20 2020 11:23

ArmInfo.The rhetoric of our leadership in "gas" relations with Russia, including within the framework of the EAEU, undoubtedly has its own logic. Secretary of  the Social Democratic Party ''Citizen's Decision'', economist Suren  Sahakyan expressed a similar opinion ArmInfo.

 "I can't say much about this logic, given that the situation, the juridical base of  these relations is controlled by the ruling force. I can only assume  that the latter has its own solution to this issue. In any case,  Russia's behavior in the gas issue has nothing to do with partner  relations, not to mention allies. First of all, given the fall in  energy prices on the international market. It is worth noting that  Russia has been selling gas to Europe at heaper price than to its  partners in the EAEU long before the price drop, "he said.

According to the politician, such issues certainly need to be  resolved, especially in the EAEU partnership environment. And this  partnership itself should include the supply of cheap gas within the  Union. And the Prime Minister of Armenia periodically voices this  issue.  Speaking at the online summit of the EAEU leaders on May 19,  Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated that global  challenges dictate the EAEU the urgent need to form a common gas  market. "The formation of a unified system of gas tariffs is a  necessity that is felt especially urgently in Armenia. I am convinced  that the common market will contribute to increasing the  competitiveness of goods by increasing the potential of the EAEU many  times. Without this, it is impossible to ensure equal business  conditions for all states," he emphasized.  Sahakyan considers the  EAEU not as a single market, but as the focus of mechanisms for  resolving certain issues.  As a similar mechanism, he considers the  creation of an economic hub connecting Russia and other EAEU  countries with Iran and China.  According to his forecasts, such a  hub will assist in the formation of equal relations between partner  states. And the lack of its formation, the absence of equal  relations, the periodic use of energy by one country as a means of  pressure on partners questions the feasibility of the existence of  the EAEU.

According to Sahakyan, the current Armenian authorities, unlike their  predecessors, are trying to talk with their Russian counterparts on  equal terms. The former authorities in a similar situation  immediately agreed to raise the price of gas, hiding it from the  population, which ended with the formation of another "gas debt." The  transfer of the last 20% of Armenia's shares in ArmRosGazprom to  Gazprom and the conclusion of a 40-year-old sweatshop agreement with  Russia are another examples of the formation of vassal relations with  Moscow.

"Even with such a legacy, I don't think that the old vassal relations  between Armenia and Russia are preserved. First of all, in view of  the attempts of our authorities to get out of the state of dependence  on Moscow. But if the authorities decide to re-enter the path of  their predecessors, we will get the same  foreign policy circuit  closed in Moscow that is entirely dependent on energy resources and  does not imply the preservation of a certain sovereignty, " Sahakyan  summed up.  To note, in his response at the same EAEU summit, Russian  President Vladimir Putin pointed out that a single gas tariff in the  EAEU implies a single market, a single budget, and a single taxation  system. Meanwhile, a similar level of integration in the EAEU,  according to his estimates, has not yet been achieved. Accordingly,  while prices should be formed on the basis of market conditions.   Taking into account costs, investments, providing profit for   suppliers. 

"The formula of the EAEU countries for gas prices proposed by the  draft EAEU Development Strategy until 2025 is supported by Russia,  Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Our Armenian and Belarusian colleagues  have not yet adopted this formula. They have their own point of view  on this issue, which consists in creating uniform tariffs. I think  that if the positions of our colleagues remain unchanged, it would  probably be logical to exclude the item on gas from the draft  strategy and approve it at the summit today.  Discussions on gas  price can be continued at the expert level of the EAEU and EEC ",  Putin said.