In all possible economic security issues, Armenia has chosen, will choose alternatives, balances, and this strategy will continue. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, on Wednesday told this to reporters, addressing the question of what the alternative will be to the Russian natural gas for Armenia in the event of a possible increase in the price of this gas in the country.

To the question of which country will be the alternative, Simonyan replied: “From all possible countries. It is on the agenda to the extent that you hear those public reactions and quotes.”

Regarding the question of how right it is to get out of the Russian “needle” and sit on the Azerbaijani “needle” in terms of natural gas supplies, the secretary of the Security Council of Armenia said: “In general, you cannot live on a ‘needle.’ Then who said that we [i.e. Armenia] are going to replace dependence on some country with dependence on another country? We are going to buy [natural] gas from all possible places. If Russia gives us gas, we will take gas from Russia, [if] Azerbaijan gives [us gas], we will take [it] from Azerbaijan, [if] Iran gives [us gas], we will take [it] from Iran, if Turkey has the opportunity to [get] gas from somewhere, we will take [it] from it at the same time. And who said one has to get out of something and jump into someone else's 'pocket?' And who said that Russian gas is cheap? And who said that the price of [natural] gas is measured only in [US] dollars? Do you see that it uses it as a political currency?

And where did gasoline come from when it was cheaper? And now where do our gasoline stations fill gasoline from? From Azerbaijan. And that now gasoline has become more expensive has nothing to do with bringing [it]. Let me say more: there is no gasoline in Russia at all now. Which is better now? Our country is still closed from two sides [i.e. Azerbaijan and Turkey], and we have created an opportunity to buy oil products from our neighboring country and satisfy our needs.”