Pashinian accuses energy minister of dodging questions

Deputy of Armenian National Congress (HAK) faction Nikol Pashinian told Energy Minister Armen Movsisian at the Armenian parliament’s special session today that parliamentary deputies don’t get concrete answers to their questions.

‘Mr. Movsisian, during parliamentary hearings you said the gas price changed on April 1, 2011 and it happened with your participation. When deputies asked why you did not inform them about it, you declared: “But who asked me?” Now you don’t give concrete answers to the deputies’ questions. Excuse me for my comparison, but you manner of responding to questions would be understandable if you were in a penal institution. Dodging questions is not the genre that a minister should use when communicating with Armenian citizens and parliamentary deputies,” Pashinian said.

In his words, in this situation it is useless to ask any questions because when one asks a question, one expects to receive an answer that contains at least a particle of truth.

“I have no more questions to you especially as you as a minister should not be here as President Sargsyan said that the government unable to ensure 7% economic growth should resign. Yu can ensure 4% growth at best, but you did not resign, based on which it can be assumed that the government got out of control,” the HAK deputy said.

We would remind you that three gas agreements with Russia are being discussed at the special session of the parliament today.

The parliament is expected to ratify the agreement on the terms of purchase and sale of shares of ArmRosGazprom CJSC and of its further activities, the agreement on the price formation order in case of natural gas delivery to Armenia, and the agreement on cooperation on the supply of gas, oil products and rough diamonds to Armenia. The agreements were signed by the Armenian and Russian governments in Yerevan on December 2.