YEREVAN. – Natural gas prices have risen by $15 since January 1, 2019 (to $165 per 1,000 cubic meters), but the price of natural gas will not rise at the border throughout the year; it is already an agreed matter. Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan stated this in a conversation with journalists today.

"There is also an agreement that not only will the tariff not change, but no [respective] petition will be made [by Gazprom Armenia company] until April 1," he added. “What will happen after April 1? Yes, it cannot be ruled out that a petition will be made because when we spoke together about the gas tariff components, there are three main ones in them: the old one [gas price] at the border, the current costs that are very easy to estimate, to quickly agree upon, but there is also an investment plan issue. However, there is a claim, judgment that there is a need for investments to organize safe, uninterrupted and efficient gas supply in the Republic of Armenia."

He added that Gazprom Armenia could have new things to say regarding investments. "I can reconfirm that there will be no tariff change until April 1," Grigoryan said. "The price of gas at the border will not change in 2020, and the issue of changing the price of gas in our homes shall also wait until April 1, after which it will be clearer."

Asked whether the budget plans to compensate for the residents' expenses if gas prices rise, the deputy prime minister did not rule out such a possibility.

Mher Grigoryan noted that the issue of natural gas prices is always discussed in multilateral formats. "That applies to Iran and to any other possible option," he concluded.