Armenia wants to buy gas from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran to reduce its dependence on Russia

Armenia is willing to buy gas from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran, in addition to Russia, to diversify its imports and avoid dependence on a single supplier, Alen Simonyan, chairman of the Security Council of Yerevan, said Wednesday.

“We want to buy gas from wherever possible,” the official said, noting that Armenia is seeking alternatives and balance in all areas related to economic security.

The statements came shortly after Gazprom Armenia, the subsidiary of Russian group Gazprom, announced a temporary interruption of gas supplies to the country for technical reasons. A few days earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had criticized the price of Russian gas and announced that the government would seek alternatives.

Pashinyan argued that the gas is received cheaply at the border but reaches consumers at high tariffs, while Gazprom Armenia makes significant profits.

Relations between Yerevan and Moscow have deteriorated in recent years following Armenia’s suspension of its participation in the post-Soviet military alliance and its rapprochement with the European Union. Russia responded with trade restrictions and sanctions on certain Armenian products.