Zakharova says Russia could reconsider gas, fuel, and diamond deals  if Armenia pursues EU path

ArmInfo. Russia will unilaterally suspend or denounce its agreement with Armenia on the supply of gas, oil products, and rough diamonds if the country continues its accession process to the European Union, as stated by  Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. 

"On Wednesday, May 27, the Russian Embassy in Armenia officially  handed over to the Armenian side a letter from Russian Energy  Minister Sergei Tsivilev to the Ministry of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructure. The letter informs that should  Armenia continue its EU accession process, Moscow will unilaterally  suspend or denounce the aforementioned agreement dated December 2,  2013," Interfax reports, citing a statement released by the Russian  MFA spokesperson on Wednesday.

Earlier, it was announced that, under the 2013 agreement, Russia  indefinitely abolished export duties on shipments of petroleum  products, gas, and diamonds to Armenia. This marked a subsequent step  toward the country's accession to the EAEU, which currently also  includes Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Under the  agreement, Moscow supplies Yerevan with petroleum products and gas in  volumes aligned with domestic consumption as approved by indicative  balances, with re-export to third countries strictly prohibited.

In early April, during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan,  Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia sells  gas to Armenia at $177.5 per 1,000 cubic meters, whereas in Europe it  currently costs around $600 per 1,000 cubic meters.