“A change in the gas price may have a 5-7% or greater impact on Armenia’s economy.”
Armenia’s economy minister, Gevorg Papoyan, said this in reference to the EAEU report on Armenia.
He described a possible rise in the gas price undesirable.
“Moreover, as a result of it no hopeless situation will be created from which we cannot find a way out, but it is highly undesirable. For the price difference of the gas supplied we have paid or are paying one way or another. A rise in the gas price is not desirable, but I think that in time buying gas at market prices must become logical. Through adaptation we must reach that point.
We must think about acquiring everything at market prices. If we do not buy anything at the market price, then somehow, all the same, we pay for it, since no country will sell us anything cheap,” the minister said.
According to him, the 2009 economic downturn and its negative consequences were far more severe for the economy than a rise in the price of gas could be. By Papoyan’s estimate, the downturn at that time amounted to 15%.
