Tweet
Yulia Timoshenko's Armenian `Cellmate'
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/politics26769.html
Published: 11:08:18 - 05/07/2012
While the Chairman-in-Office of the Council of Europe Herman van
Rompuy is speaking about democracy, reforms in Armenia promising more
money in exchange of more reforms and an increase of 15 million Euros
of funding to Armenia, there is information that the Russian gas price
for Armenia may increase since October.
Actually, the 15 million Euros will be very helpful to cover the costs
of the gas since for the last couple of years Armenia has completely
passed to the gas heating system. According to American experts,
Armenia is leading in adapting petrol cars to gas.
In the fight between the West and Russia for influence in the
post-Soviet territory, gas is of key importance. Perhaps, Georgia
managed to come out of under the Russian influence thanks to the fact
that it didn't have a 100% dependence on the Russian gas and the West
helped it to compensate the costs. Ukraine, actually, failed to break
away from Russia because of the gas dependence. Kiev is still fighting
against Moscow, and Yulia Timoshenko is in prison just because she got
the country back into the Russian gas embrace.
Now, this process is expected in Armenia. If by autumn, when the
signing of the Association Agreement between Armenia and the European
Union is scheduled, Russia raises the gas price, it will be tough for
Armenia considering the already existing debt. The population,
undoubtedly, is unable to pay for the gas and `cold' rebellions are
not ruled out. It will impact on the business too; the price of the
Armenian cement is already high due to the expensive gas.
Russia does not hide the fact that the gas is his geopolitical stick.
It is difficult to evade this stick, only in case the gas supply is
diversified. This stick has been hanging over Armenia's head for the
last couple of years, but we have not undertook means to lay at least
one more pipe from Iran or to develop alternative sources of energy.
Now, if Russia raises the gas price, Armenia will have to choose the
lesser of two evils. Either the West will help us and we will finally
break away from Russia even at the cost of freezing in winter, or we
will bow Russia and become its slaves finally.
This question may become the reason of home political cataclysms: If
Serzh Sargsyan fails to persuade Russia not to increase the gas price
prior to the presidential elections, they may appear someone who will
assume the task of persuading Putin. This someone may probably get big
political dividends. So, someone is possible to become Yulia
Timoshenko's cellmate.
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/politics26769.html
Published: 11:08:18 - 05/07/2012
While the Chairman-in-Office of the Council of Europe Herman van
Rompuy is speaking about democracy, reforms in Armenia promising more
money in exchange of more reforms and an increase of 15 million Euros
of funding to Armenia, there is information that the Russian gas price
for Armenia may increase since October.
Actually, the 15 million Euros will be very helpful to cover the costs
of the gas since for the last couple of years Armenia has completely
passed to the gas heating system. According to American experts,
Armenia is leading in adapting petrol cars to gas.
In the fight between the West and Russia for influence in the
post-Soviet territory, gas is of key importance. Perhaps, Georgia
managed to come out of under the Russian influence thanks to the fact
that it didn't have a 100% dependence on the Russian gas and the West
helped it to compensate the costs. Ukraine, actually, failed to break
away from Russia because of the gas dependence. Kiev is still fighting
against Moscow, and Yulia Timoshenko is in prison just because she got
the country back into the Russian gas embrace.
Now, this process is expected in Armenia. If by autumn, when the
signing of the Association Agreement between Armenia and the European
Union is scheduled, Russia raises the gas price, it will be tough for
Armenia considering the already existing debt. The population,
undoubtedly, is unable to pay for the gas and `cold' rebellions are
not ruled out. It will impact on the business too; the price of the
Armenian cement is already high due to the expensive gas.
Russia does not hide the fact that the gas is his geopolitical stick.
It is difficult to evade this stick, only in case the gas supply is
diversified. This stick has been hanging over Armenia's head for the
last couple of years, but we have not undertook means to lay at least
one more pipe from Iran or to develop alternative sources of energy.
Now, if Russia raises the gas price, Armenia will have to choose the
lesser of two evils. Either the West will help us and we will finally
break away from Russia even at the cost of freezing in winter, or we
will bow Russia and become its slaves finally.
This question may become the reason of home political cataclysms: If
Serzh Sargsyan fails to persuade Russia not to increase the gas price
prior to the presidential elections, they may appear someone who will
assume the task of persuading Putin. This someone may probably get big
political dividends. So, someone is possible to become Yulia
Timoshenko's cellmate.