Haykakan Zhamanak: Armenia wants to pay for gas in rubles

‘Haykakan Zhamanak’ writes that the Armenian government is trying to come to an agreement with the Russian side in order to pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles. Every year Armenia pays $350-400 million for gas to the Russian side.

The daily says this issue will be the subject of negotiations at the upcoming meeting of Prime Ministers of Armenia and Russia, Hovik Abrahamyan and Dmitry Medvedev.

“There is little hope that the Russian side will agree to receive the full amount in rubles. Yet there is great likelihood that half of the sum may be paid in Russian rubles. The point is that Russia pays about $200 million annually for keeping the 102nd military base in Armenia. In all likelihood an agreement will be reached by the sides, according to which the Russian government will transfer $200 million to Gazprom Company, while Gazprom-Armenia will pay that sum in drams to the Armenian side,” the daily writes.