Zhoghovurd: Armenia can have free natural gas

The Armenian parliament’s interim committee tasked with studying the natural gas supply system’s work has reportedly found out that the country can potentially import the fuel free of charge from Turkmenistan via Iran’s territory.

While the facts and figures in its recent report, set to be discussed in the legislative’s upcoming session, reflect what the paper calls the disconsolate situation in the sector, it has been found that additional investments will secure an annual supply of 70 billion cubic meters Iranian and Turkmenistani gas to a third country.

Moreover, says the paper, the supplier will have an obligation to pay in the amount of 5% of the supply. In the case of the above mentioned quantity, that will make 12,450 billion cubic meters per annum, notes the paper. It says further that Armenia consumed a total of 12.450 cubic meters of the fuel in 2014. “

“That means that Armenia can have free natural gas. So who is to blame for the failure to take any step; what’s even worse, [the authorities] have done all their best to make us keep purchasing gas from the Russian Federation at such an expensive price,” writes the paper.