YEREVAN. – Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Hayk Harutyunyan, who is Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan’s son-in-law, will soon no longer coordinate the renewable energy sector of the Republic of Armenia (RA), reported Zhamanak (Times) newspaper.

“His powers will be changed, and from now on he will oversee the [natural] gas sector—including the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline—which is more profitable.

“According to our information, this sectoral relocating of his is due to dissatisfaction by the American side.

“Months ago, US Ambassador [to Armenia] Richard Mills had announced about the potential of 8 billion dollars in the renewable energy sector of the RA. It is known that in addition to formally coordinating, K. Karapetyan’s family, and especially Deputy Minister H. Harutyunyan, has their own business plans in the renewable energy sector.

“Studying the investment opportunities, the American side has actually noticed a clash of interests, and that is why it hinted at the undesirability of this branch of energy being coordinated by the Prime Minister’s son-in-law,” wrote Zhamanak.