Armenia would join Turkey if Russia raise prices!

[Turanist]

Disappointment with Russian policy regarding Armenia is growing in Yerevan, said Amayak Ovanisian, an Armenian parliamentarian and the president of the Armenian Association of Political Scientists.

The main reason for the disappointment is rising Russian gas prices, which resulted in a recent statement of Armenian Premier Andranik Margarian that Armenia could revise its strategic relationship with Russia.

The Armenian press writes that Russia appears willing to "hand over" Armenia, as already happened in the early twentieth century, and would stay indifferent to an "Armenian genocide."

"The current Russian foreign policy is thoughtlessly changing the Armenian national myth of a strategic Russian-Armenian partnership, which is dangerous for the future relations between the two countries," said Deputy Ovanisian. He added that while Armenians were traditionally Russophiles, this attitude was purely emotional, and not based on a real basis for admiration. Ovanisian stated that it was safer and more advantageous to serve as an "outpost" of Turkey, than of Russia, he said. He claims that Moscow's current policy will only strengthen the position of people supporting closer relations between Armenia and NATO. Russia already has no leverage on the Karabakh conflict, because it has no peacekeeping forces there.

Aram Karapetian, leader of New Times Party, said that Armenia could not expect to successfully be able to pressure Russia. If Armenia were to demand the withdrawal of Russian military bases from its region due to the gas condition, it will only lose. Iran would not sell Armenia gas in the current situation, as Iran needs Russia's support due to the threat of a U.S. attack. From January 1, 2006 Russia increased gas prices for Armenia from $54.00 to $110 per 1,000 cubic meters. As a result of talks, Yerevan has managed to postponed the rise in prices by three months until April 1.

[Serdar]

Where are you going with this, Turanist?

Anti-Russian and anti-Soviet sentiment in Armenia has been growing for a while now, but they need Russia for geopolitical and strategic reasons, the same way Israel and the United States could care less about Turkey if it weren't for its favorable location.

[Serdar]

Armenia Liberty

Russian Gas Giant Admits Interest in Armenian Power Plant

Russia’s Gazprom monopoly confirmed on Tuesday reports that it has offered not to double the price of natural gas supplied to Armenia in return for acquiring a big thermal power plant located in the central town of Hrazdan.

Denis Ignatiev, a spokesman for the state-controlled energy giant, told RFE/RL that this is one of the proposals made by the Russian side during the ongoing negotiations with the Armenian government. He said their acceptance would almost certainly spare Armenia the need to pay $110 per thousand cubic meters of Russian, or twice as more as it has paid until now.

Officials in Yerevan say Gazprom has agreed to delay the enforcement of the new tariff until April 1, pending the outcome of the negotiations. The presidents of the two countries are expected to try to reach a mutually acceptable solution when they meet in Moscow next week.

Ignatiev said Moscow has indeed offered to extend a multimillion-dollar loan to Armenia which would be spent on covering the extra cost of its gas. The loan would presumably be repaid with fresh handovers of Armenian industrial facilities, notably the Hrazdan plant which is incomplete but quite modern.

The idea was rejected by Prime Minister Andranik Markarian on Friday. “We could borrow from the West and international organizations on much more favorable terms,” he argued.

The power plant in question is currently being completed by a state-owned Iranian company that signed a $150 million investment agreement with the Armenian government last fall. It is due to generate electricity with Iranian gas that will be delivered to Armenia through a pipeline currently under construction. Energy Minister Armen Movsisian said on Monday that work on the first Armenian section of the pipeline is proceeding ahead of schedule and will likely be complete by the summer of 2007.

Russia, currently Armenia’s sole gas supplier, is believed to be uneasy about the project. According to the Gazprom spokesman, one of the Russian proposals deals with the planed Iranian gas deliveries. He refused to elaborate.

Russia’s presence in the Armenian energy sector is already pervasive, with Russian energy giants owning most of the country’s gas infrastructure, electricity distribution network, several hydro-electric stations and another big thermal plant located in Hrazdan. In addition, a state-owned Russian utility manages the finances of the nuclear power plant at Metsamor.

[Turanist]

iam going with this that it was showing Armenia has so not so strong relationship with Russia. and this means that Armenia and Turkey can maybe benefit out of it.

I also have to add this about Sevres.

Ok everyone, lets stop the mud slinging and get back to the topic...

Hellektor is angry because treaty of Sevres is not valid anymore. The treaty of Sevres said that Turkish economy is 'effectively controlled by the allies'. The treaty was rejected as being unfair and bad like treaty of versailles. if treaty of Versailles meant Nazi Germany became then treaty of Sevres can cause Armenian Genocide II to happen.

[Tongue]

ohh great, now we're back to sevres.

[Kharpert]

Turanist, why would Armenia leave the Russians to get help from Turkey?

p.s.
There should be no discussion of Sevres in this thread.

[Kharpert]

Under what circumstances has Russia turned its back on Armenia? When did Russia betray Armenia? On what does Russia want to raise prices? Under what conditions will Armenia's alliance with Turkey help the economy?

p.s. Technically you should begin another thread, not hijack this thread, if you want to continue that discussion.

[Turanist]

is not Russia raising prices? if Russia dont raise prices they want to have some modern productive Armenian factories. Is this not betrayal? Is this not turn their back?

if Turkey and Armenia have relations. Turks will be investing and contribute. it will cut transportation costs.

http://www.eurasianet.org/department...av072603.shtml
Tavitian says resumption of direct trade with Turkey would bring Armenia immediate and substantial economic benefits: "The World Bank says that [in that case] Armenia’s exports would double in the short term and its gross domestic product [GDP] would increase by an estimated 30 to 40 percent. Armenia’s GDP currently stands at $2 billion, and the World Bank believes that if both borders -- the Turkish-Armenian border [to the east] and the Azerbaijani-Armenian border [to the west] -- were reopened, it would get at least an additional $500 million or so. This is considerable."

p.s. my comments are to do with this thread. its about Armenia moving towards Ankara and away from Moscow.

[Kharpert]

But even if we did strengthen trade relations with Turkey, why would we need to break ties with Russia? Why not trade with both?

[imported_anoush]

It is alway unpleasant to receive a price increase. However, Russia has been selling at subsidy... read loss.... prices for some time and cannot keep doing this forever, but as it is, their stated price to Armenia is still considerably lower than for non-friendly nations.

I am highly suspicious when people talk about betrayals, trying to cause division, especially at the outrageous suggestion or getting close to turkey. No politcal or economic expediency will ever make that happen.