YEREVAN. – Zhamanak daily interviewed Armenia’s opposition Republic Party Board Chairman, former PM Aram Sargsyan. 

“Responding to the query on the discussions to increase [Russian energy company] Gazprom’s share in [Armenia’s] ArmRusGazprom [Company] from 80 all the way to 100 percent, Sargsyan specifically noted [as follows]: 

‘I think it would be very bad if the Armenian authorities decide, at the coercion of the Russian authorities, to sell to Gazprom the [remaining] 20 percent [of the shares] which is the property of this country [i.e., Armenia]. This 20 percent is like gold—which belongs to the future generations—that is put at the Central Bank as reserve fund.    

Instead of thinking about strengthening, bringing back its energy resources, Armenia is thinking about how to sell, gain the last profit from it, just like many of our countrymen behave today by selling what they have, [and] leaving the country.      

The demeanor of these authorities is reminiscent of the demeanor of a man that is leaving his homeland,”’ Zhamanak quotes Aram Sargsyan as saying.