Eurasian Customs Union

[Eddo211]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

Those are not it Mher. Sanctions are a recent development while Iran has been producing oil a long time. That same "backward idiotic government" has managed to create a powerful home made military force and has increased its own strength and importance in the region without drawing attack from more powerful forces.

No Mher is right.....the advancements that you see in Iran is do is due to the tenacity, ingenuity, and nationalism of the Iranian for IRAN.....these Mullahs be nothing without these patriots who frankly could care less about their Mullahs who oppress their people.

Perhaps that government is not as idiotic as you may think.
I found this to be a interesting development worth noting.

Now this is true....these Mullahs are no idiot in foreign affairs and are experts on how to hold on to power.

[Mher]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

No Mher is right.....the advancements that you see in Iran is do is due to the tenacity, ingenuity, and nationalism of the Iranian for IRAN.....these Mullahs be nothing without these patriots who frankly could care less about their Mullahs who oppress their people.

Exactly. the people themselves are great people, who have had to advance their country despite the government. The Monarchy was far from perfect, but at the end of the day, it concern advancing Iran, and making the Iranian people great today. The Islamic government is concerned with their backward religion and adhering and advancing to their religion. It doesn't have much time to care what is best for the Iranian nation.

Now this is true....these Mullahs are no idiot in foreign affairs and are experts on how to hold on to power.

Very true, waiting until the Shah went after the commies rather than the islamisits to get their chance, hoping for an Iraq invasion to quiet dissent, extending the war and suffering as long as possible to consolidate power, they know exactly how to hold on to power, and today, they are untouchable.

looking at it from a 3rd person point of view, I rather be Armenian than Iranian just because despite the many disadvantages Armenia has, its a much more dynamic country, where you have a much bigger chance to make an impact, and there is much more potential for progress in the near future. In Iran, the system is set, locked in place, and there is no quesiton, to opposition, and no alternative to the highest power of khameneyi.

[Mher]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

Armenia Considers Increase in Iranian Gas Supply

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Armenia will start negotiations with Iran soon on the possibility of dramatically increasing imports of Iranian natural gas that are currently dwarfed by supplies from Russia, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian revealed on Wednesday.

Movsisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that the Armenian government is ready to purchase up to 2 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas each year.

The figure matches annual demand in gas of Armenian households, thermal power plants and other corporate consumers. It is being fully met by Russia’s Gazprom monopoly.

Armenia has also imported around 500 million cubic meters of Iranian gas per annum until now. It has been used for generating electricity exported to the Islamic Republic.

Movsisian gave no details of the planned gas talks with the Iranians as he briefly spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian service. His announcement came just days after Iran’s ambassador in Yerevan, Mohammad Reisi, said Tehran is ready to boost gas supplies to Armenia and offer more beneficial terms for that purpose. He said the issue may be on the agenda of the next session of an Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation due in May.

Movsisian’s remarks were construed by Aram Marjanian, a Yerevan-based energy expert, as an indication that the Armenian leadership would now like to diversify supplies. “Iranian gas has always been an interesting alternative to Armenia’s energy sector and other gas consumers,” said Marjanian.

The minister’s revelation comes as a surprise given the fact that the Armenian government completed a highly controversial deal with Gazprom as recently as in January. The government ceded its remaining 20 percent stake in Armenia’s gas distribution network to Gazprom and granted it 30-year exclusive rights in the domestic energy market. In return, the Russian energy conglomerate wrote off a $300 million debt incurred by the government as a consequence of secretly subsidizing the Russian gas price for Armenia from 2011-2013.

Gazprom also mostly reversed a 50 percent surge in the tariff announced in April 2013, setting it at almost $190 million per thousand cubic meters, or well below international market levels. The discount was officially attributed to President Serzh Sarkisian’s unexpected decision to make Armenia part of the Russian-led Customs Union.

Critics of the deal, among them Armenia’s main opposition parties, say that the Sarkisian administration should have increased Iranian gas imports instead of deepening Armenia’s dependence on Russia for energy resources. Government officials and Movsisian in particular have insisted that Armenia buys the bulk of its natural gas from Russia because it is much cheaper than Iranian gas.

Reisi publicly questioned Movsisian’s claims late last year, implying that the Islamic Republic is ready to sell gas to its sole Christian neighbor at an even lower price. The Iranian ambassador also claimed that Yerevan has never sought to officially negotiate with Tehran over more large-scale gas supplies.

http://asbarez.com/120808/armenia-considers-increase-in-iranian-gas-supply/

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

Armenia Considers Increase in Iranian Gas Supply

The government ceded its remaining 20 percent stake in Armenia’s gas distribution network to Gazprom and granted it 30-year exclusive rights in the domestic energy market. In return, the Russian energy conglomerate wrote off a $300 million debt incurred by the government as a consequence of secretly subsidizing the Russian gas price for Armenia from 2011-2013.

Does that mean that importation of all gas by anyone except Gazprom is forbidden? Such as by trucks carrying liquified gas or by cylinders. Or just that Gazprom has exclusive right to supply the gas that runs through the pipes it now owns?

[Mher]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

Does that mean that importation of all gas by anyone except Gazprom is forbidden? Such as by trucks carrying liquified gas or by cylinders. Or just that Gazprom has exclusive right to supply the gas that runs through the pipes it now owns?

I'm not sure. It would good if Hakob or Vrej can provide some details about the situation.

[Hakob]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

I'm not sure. It would good if Hakob or Vrej can provide some details about the situation.

For energy issues Vrej is the expert. There is lots of aspects in dark with Iranian as well as Russian supplies. I want to believe that Russia is selling gas to us with their own domestic prices, but because of expectations, we come to belive that someone down the line is making a hell of a profit. Now is it the Gasprom? Armenian government or Oligarkhs? Hard to figure. Or maybe there are other expences down the line that we don't know?
But the bottom line is the cost to consumer. One thing would be helpfull is to compare consumer end of cost in Armenia and different neighboring countries including Russia. That would show how much benefit or not we got from the deal . On my side I don't have lot of hopes of clarity from government or suppliers. It's like the issues with natural gas, gasoline and electricity in west. Public has no knowledge or controll over the prices anywhere in line.

[Hakob]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

I know that in places that have comparable climate with Armenia, like New Jersey, the average gas bill in winter runs at about $200 per month, conservatively. How much is it for Armenian average households?
One reason to compare it so boldly is the fact that cost of most consumer necesities in Armenia are reaching to international levels.
I would love to hear about the average cost for southern russian households. Like in Krasnodar region.

[Eddo211]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

I bet Iran would even sale energy to Armenia without monitory gain.....we have old connections with our Persian brothers with mutual adversaries coupled with with same geopolitical issues with Turkey, which they do only strictly business with them but love to party with us and would hate to see Armenia taken by Tookeh ghar. It is also very bad for them.

They are trusted old friends (no matter some bad history) and stronger alliance is to the advantage of Armenia.

[londontsi]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

For energy issues Vrej is the expert. There is lots of aspects in dark with Iranian as well as Russian supplies. I want to believe that Russia is selling gas to us with their own domestic prices, but because of expectations, we come to belive that someone down the line is making a hell of a profit. Now is it the Gasprom? Armenian government or Oligarkhs? Hard to figure. Or maybe there are other expences down the line that we don't know?
But the bottom line is the cost to consumer. One thing would be helpfull is to compare consumer end of cost in Armenia and different neighboring countries including Russia. That would show how much benefit or not we got from the deal . On my side I don't have lot of hopes of clarity from government or suppliers. It's like the issues with natural gas, gasoline and electricity in west. Public has no knowledge or controll over the prices anywhere in line.

I agree with you except .......

Hard to figure

An issue so socially and political important for the nation it should not be that hard for the President/Prime Minister to have been involved,
order an investigation, statement etc etc.

The fact that they are dozing off on the subject they either involved ( share of the pie) or doing a return favour to their commercial mates.

[Hakob]

Re: Eurasian Customs Union

The "hard to figure" expression is rather for us. Government or any other cell down the line knows and is part of the cost. It is us, that try to evaluate a situation or any aspect of energy issues and don't have full data to proceed. This is an international problem. Now our own maybe more or less in the dark. And just like anywhere else, any study is motivated, and distorted by political or economic interests. That is why maybe to start with we should compare Armenias consumer prices with other neighbors to see if something so important in our expectations is in fact true