Currently Armenia buys gasoline of this capacity for 56 USD, and Georgia – for 120 USD. “Armrusgazard” sells 1 c.m. of gasoline for 59.000 dram to citizens. This double increase of gasoline prices will bring to production decrease in Armenia as well as some productions will stop. According to Mr. Smbatyan Armenia must understand this because Russia has its interests here.
Concerning the fifth part of Hrazdan “Hydro Electric Power Station” he noted, that Armenia was ready to sell it to Russians but Russians asked Armenia to delay the term of this deal. And in this delayed period new clients for this station came up. According to the ambassador of Armenia, he has also suggested Russia to buy the power distribution stations, but Russia didn’t meet this offer. But Russia started to be interested in it again after it had been already sold to “Midland Resources” company. Currently the electric power stations belong to RAO EES company.
A. Smbatyan said that about 12 polling stations would be located in the territory of Russia on November 27 with the purposes to provide poarticipation of citizens of Armenia living in Moscow in the Constitutional referendum.
According to him, about 350-400 thousand citizens of Armenia living in Russia have a right to participate in the referendum, about 120 thousand of these citizens have old passports of the Soviet Union. Mr. Smbatyan noted that the Embassy was taking steps to provide those citizens with new passports to take part in the referendum. Mr. Smbatyan also noted that most of the citizens living in Russia were going to vote “for” the Constitution, because the problem of dual citizenship had been solved.
Mr. Smbatyan told journalists in Moscow that Russia was taking steps to operate those companies that had been given to Russia against the debt of 100 million USD. According to him “Mars” might get order from the military production body. Mr. Smbatyan said that the management of these companies was going to be given to big companies to operate effectively. According to the ambassador, Russia had 89 companies like “Mars” but couldn’t operate effectively on its own.
Head of the RF president personnel department of relations and contacts with foreign countries Modest Colerov said that Russia had some problems to exploit “Mars”, because “Eurotech” company was in the territory of “Mars”. According to him this is why the company can’t get orders from the military production complex. While according to the contract there should not be any company or juridical persons in the territory of “Mars” company. According to Colerov, back in 1998 there was an attempt to privatize “Mars” for one million dollars, but this attempt was failed and “Mars” was given to them in exchange for the debt of 56 million dollars.
It is worth to mention that “Eurotech” company, located in the territory of “Mars”, belongs to Armenian businessman Vache Manoukyan living in England. However, the authorities are not in good relations with him. So the recent announcement of Colerov can be interpreted in two ways: either Russia wants to delay or do away with the exploitation of “Mars” or do a favor for Armenian authorities and make “Eurotech” leave the territory of “Mars”.