In 2006, Armenians Did Not Believe That Russia Would Raise Gas Prices

Below is an interesting publication from the archives of the Internet, a survey on the possible increase in gas prices in Armenia supplied by Gazprom in 2006, which at that time was priced at $56 per 1000 cubic meters. The information on gas prices is taken from a PDF document on the pricing of gas supplied to Armenia (p. 4 last paragraph).

In 2006, the Yelk Center for Social Transformations (not to be confused with the modern parliamentary faction) surveyed 1,000 respondents in 4 communities in Yerevan, as well as in the cities of Gyumri, Vanadzor, Ijevan, and Kapan.

Let me remind you that in 2006, during the second term of the second president of Armenia, the Iran-Armenia gas pipe was laid out, the capacity and diameter of which at the last moment were made lower than what had been agreed in the gas contract, which undoubtedly affected the monopolistic formula for the pricing of the gas supplied by Gazprom to Armenia.

It should also be noted that today, Gazprom supplies gas to Armenia at a price of $150 per 1000 cubic meters. The gas reaches the end consumer priced already at $300, however. There is information that the entire gas earnings with the help of well-established muddy schemes including kickbacks eventually goes to Moscow.

According to survey data from February 2006,84.3% of respondents believed that Russia is a friendly country, 4.9% had the opposite opinion, while 10.8% found it difficult to answer the question.

According to 76.1% of respondents, among the three countries of the South Caucasus, it was Armenia that conducted the most benevolent policy towards Russia. 16.5% considered Azerbaijan the friendliest country to Russia and 7.4% Georgia.

79.2% of the respondents did not believe that the prices for natural gas supplied by Russia to Armenia would double. Only 5% suggested such a development of events and 15.8% were undecided.

In the event of an increase in gas tariffs, 75.7% of respondents said that they would change their attitude towards Russia for the worst, and 59.4% would be in favor of revising Armenian-Russian relations.

71% of respondents considered the issue of gas prices political, while 14% considered this problem purely economic. At the same time, 41.3% thought that in the event of an increase in gas tariffs, Armenia should refuse gas supplied by Russia and look for alternative solutions, 38.4% did not agree with this point of view, and 20.3% were undecided.

71.8% of respondents thought that the increase in gas prices would negatively affect Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus. 21.2% thought that this step of Russia would not affect its influence in the region, and 7% thought that the effect would be positive.

Data provided by the agency “NOYAN TAPAN”. Source: noev-kovcheg.ru