Gas price hike Russia’s sanction against Armenia – oppositionist

Gas price hike Russia’s sanction against Armenia – oppositionist

16:30 – 24.05.13

The opposition Heritage party’s deputy leader finds that the Russian
side’s decision to impose higher natural gas tariffs on Armenia is a
punitive measure against the country over the poor conduct of
elections.

`If the surge in the gas tariffs is to be price of our independence, I
agree with that. But if the independence is going to cost improper
steps by the authorities after the rise in the gas bills, I do not
wish anything of the kind,’ Armen Martirosyan told a news conference
Friday.

He said the increased gas price would have no essential impact if the
authorities weren’t vulnerable. `The government is yet another time
pursuing disproportionate profit distribution policies,’ Martirosyan
noted.
Speaking of the government plan to offer a 30% subsidy, the politician
said the Europeans may lend a helping hand if that meets their
geopolitical interests, but he expressed his personal disagreement to
such policies.

`That would cause the state to secure excess profits at my property’s
expense,’ he added.

Martirosyan said the superpowers, which congratulated President Serzh
Sargsyan on re-election earlier, are now urging Armenia into a kind of
debt redemption.

`We see all this is the continuation of the presidential elections.
They are demanding a debt payoff,’ he noted.

Martirosyan said he sees only one possible solution in the current
circumstances. `Rhetoric will offer no solution to the existing
problems if there is consolidation,’ he said, referring to the
parliament’s annual budgetary debates that sees lawmakers offering a
0.4%-0.7% shadow cut every time, but realizing no reforms in practice.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian