YEREVAN. – According to the regulations, the Armenian National Assembly (NA) special session, with respect to the Armenia-Russia natural gas agreements, is rescheduled for 3:30pm. 

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan stated the aforesaid at the parliament on Monday.

He added that all MPs need to be present at that time because, once the package of laws is voted on, the second NA reading on the agreements will get underway.

Abrahamyan called upon all NA faction leaders to ensure the presence of the deputies at 3:30pm. 

To note, a large number of activists have gathered across the entrance of the Armenian National Assembly building, since Monday morning. They are protesting against the natural gas agreements that were signed between the Armenian and the Russian governments on December 2. Pursuant to these agreements, the remaining 20 percent of the ArmRusGazprom Company shares, which the Government of Armenia owns, will be sold to the Russian energy giant Gazprom Company. As a result, Armenia is expected be deprived of the chance to import natural gas from other countries, or to change the terms for the import of gas, until the year 2043. 

Opposition Heritage Party NA Faction Secretary Zaruhi Postanjyan had collected the voting cards of the MPs; the latter voted on the aforesaid agreements by a show of hands. As per Hovik Abrahamyan, a total of 77 deputies voted in favor of the agreements.