YEREVAN. – The name of Armenian capital city Yerevan’s former Mayor, Russian Gazprom Company’s present-day Deputy Director, Karen Karapetyan—who is in Armenia these days and is holding political meetings—likewise is circulated among the candidates for the PM’s post of the country, Hraparak daily reports. 

“We learned from a Moscow source close to [Russia’s] Gazprombank that the matter of Karen Karapetyan being appointed PM is linked to the Armenian-Russian talks with respect to the price of [natural] gas. The authorized circles of the negotiations have imposed a condition that Karapetyan would return to Armenia and be appointed to the PM’s position only if he contributes to a reduction in the price of the Russian gas. 

To note, [Armenia’s] Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan had pledged that, ‘we will have the best gas price in the CIS; ours will be the lowest [price].’

The price of Russian gas currently being delivered to Armenia constitutes $180/1,000 cubic meters, whereas Belarus pays the lowest price for the Russian [natural] gas,” Hraparak writes.