Armenia is holding discussions on natural gas imports with all possible partners, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in comments to reporters. He indicated that the talks cover gas as well as related issues, but did not identify the countries involved or disclose the stage of the discussions or potential supply volumes.
The remarks came in response to a question about whether the price of Russian gas supplied to Armenia could be revised and whether Yerevan is considering purchases from alternative sources. Asked specifically about possible imports from Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Pashinyan did not confirm separate arrangements with each of those countries, saying only that negotiations are underway in every possible direction.
A broader review of relations with Russia
Pashinyan said the gas issue should be seen within a wider reassessment of Armenia-Russia relations. According to him, after talks with the Russian side in Bishkek, Yerevan and Moscow agreed to carry out a kind of “inventory” of bilateral ties and define the components of cooperation.
He said various issues have been appearing on the agenda one after another, including railway operations and gas supplies. “Armenia-Russia relations are multilayered; there are numerous problems, questions and opportunities there,” Pashinyan said. He added that this “inventory” process is continuing, while discussions in specific areas are either already underway or just starting.
On a possible increase in the price of Russian gas
The issue gained added attention after Central Bank of Armenia Chairman Martin Galstyan commented on the consequences of a possible significant increase in the price of Russian gas. At a September 15 press conference, he said the regulator treats such an outcome as a stress scenario rather than a baseline one.
According to Galstyan, a rise in gas prices could affect Armenia’s economy directly through inflation and indirectly through higher production costs that would then feed into prices for other goods and services. Responding to those assessments, Pashinyan said policy should not be built around the most negative scenarios, adding that the authorities would take the necessary decisions to manage the situation if needed.
Gas supplies to Armenia
Most of the natural gas consumed in Armenia is imported from Russia, with supplies delivered through Georgia. Armenia also receives gas from Iran under the existing “gas for electricity” arrangement, in which the Iranian side supplies natural gas and Armenia exports electricity in return.
In recent years, the Armenian authorities have repeatedly spoken about the need to diversify the country’s external economic and energy ties. In the government’s 2026–2031 program, Pashinyan also identified reducing excessive dependence on individual markets as one of the directions of economic policy.
At the same time, the prime minister’s September 17 statement does not yet mean that agreements on new gas supplies have been reached. No specific potential suppliers, routes, volumes, prices or timelines for possible imports were announced.
