Armenian Government Reassures Public: No Gas Price Increase Expected Before Winter Despite Moscow Warning

Armenian authorities are reassuring the public that natural gas prices will remain unchanged in the near term, despite recent warnings from Moscow that preferential energy rates could be reconsidered if Armenia alters its economic alignment.

Speaking to reporters in parliament on June 11, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan said there is currently no basis for concerns about a gas price increase, citing an existing supply agreement with Russia that remains in force through the upcoming winter season.

“There is no possibility of a gas price change because we have a contract whose term expires after the winter,” Khudatyan said.

The minister stressed that Russia has no legal grounds to unilaterally terminate the agreement and noted that gas deliveries continue under the same conditions and schedule as before.

“We are working normally, receiving gas at the same price and according to the same schedule. We have very good relations with our partners, and nothing has changed in our working relationship,” Khudatyan said.

While emphasizing that the government is monitoring and managing potential risks, Khudatyan stopped short of addressing what could happen once the current contract expires.

The comments come during renewed debate over Armenia’s geopolitical and economic orientation following statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in late May. Peskov warned that Armenia would lose access to preferential Russian gas prices if it chose to leave the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Moscow-led economic bloc of which it is a member.

According to the Kremlin, discounted energy prices are tied directly to Armenia’s participation in the EAEU and its allied relationship with Russia.

“We have heard statements from Armenia’s leadership that there is an extremely attractive, more than preferential price for Russian gas and energy resources. This is indeed the case,” Peskov said at the time, describing Russia as a reliable supplier of energy resources to its partners and allies.

He added that countries outside the EAEU framework, including members of the European Union, purchase gas under market-based pricing mechanisms rather than the preferential arrangements available within the Eurasian bloc.

Peskov also noted that Moscow continues to view Armenia’s long-term economic trajectory as an open question, while recalling recent remarks by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Armenia intends to remain a full member of the EAEU even as it deepens ties with Europe and pursues a more diversified foreign policy.

The issue has gained increasing significance as Armenia expands cooperation with Western partners while seeking to preserve economic and energy ties with Russia, which remains the country’s primary natural gas supplier. For now, officials insist that existing contracts guarantee price stability, though questions remain about the terms that could follow after the current agreement expires.

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