Russia has nothing to do with the mass protests in Armenia, which were caused by tariff hike of energy and housing services and utilities, Russia’s Minster of Energy Alexander Novak said, Federal News Agency reports.

“The government of each country makes independent decisions, and firstly on tariffs. We have no influence on these processes,” Novak said.

He also said that Moscow filed the documents on the cooperation with Yerevan on 1 January 2015. According to those documents, Armenia gets gas from Russia by reduced prices.

It’s already the third day mass protests have been taking place in capital Yerevan. The protestors demand to cancel the decision of the authorities on electricity price hike adopted upon the initiative of the Russian-owned ‘Electric Networks of Armenia’ CJSC.