YEREVAN. - In the market conditions, Armenia could also have not received such cheap gas as today.

Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan said the aforementioned in the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday, responding to the question of MP Tigran Urikhanyan.

Consumer loans without collateral up to AMD 2,000,000 Up to December 30 consumer loans without collateral up to AMD 2,000,000 will be granted only with annual interest rate of 19-20%

In 2013, the Armenian Government sold 20 percent of the shares of ArmRosgazprom to Russian Gazprom, which became the 100 percent owner of the republic’s gas and transport system, its subsidiary coming to be called Gazprom Armenia.

According to Karapertyan, the deal was definitely beneficial for Armenia, since the Government didn’t receive any dividends from these 20 percent.  Moreover, Russian Gazprom didn’t receive dividends either, since the means were reinvested back in the company.  “Thus, I don’t see anything bad in that we were able to extinguish this part of our foreign debt. And if we ask whether the gas price could be lower, the answer is no, it couldn't. The gas price for Armenia was always the lowest in the region,'' Karapetyan added.

But the PM doesn't consider this position to be correct either.  ''There was a danger that the market prices would prove to be much higher than the one which Armenia received as a result of talks. Let's say, the same 270 would form, and Gazprom would say: ''Well, I'm giving [the gas] for $240''. But consequently, we recived [gas] for $189,'' he noted.

In December 2013, Russia signed an agreement with Armenia on supplying gas by $189 per 1000 cubic meters. In 2015, the price was reduced to $165 to compensate the losses of Gazprom Armenia as a result of the Armenian dram devaluation. On April 7, the price of $150 was announced after the meeting between the Armenian and Russian prime ministers.