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During 2024, the Standing Committee on regional and Eurasian Integration holds thematic debates titled The presidency of the Republic of Armenia in the EEU: New directions of proactive policy, touching upon the programmes of the measures being carried out by the relating ministries and its results.

At March 11 sitting of the Committee, issues regarding the main directions of the priorities and proactive policy of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure were debated.

The RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Hakob Vardanyan noted that this year the common markets should begin from 2025, but at this moment within the framework of the EEU the decision of the postponement of the common markets’ operation is circulated, and it probably would be postponed until 2027.

Regarding the operation of the gas common market, Hakob Vardanyan noted that there is no consensus around 5-7 group of issues. The Deputy Minister emphasized the fundamental and key issue of the formation of the common market price, when the same conditions should function for everybody: The Russian Federation and Kazakhstan are against that approach and believe that the formation of the principles for inner consumers.

Speaking about the operation of the electricity common market, the Deputy Minister mentioned that Armenia cannot completely get integrated to that market, because it has no common border with that market.

Answering the deputies’ question, Hakob Vardanyan touched upon the probability of the gas price increase: “The gas price was fixed in the Republic of Armenia last time on January 1, 2019. Every year, we have those debates concern, but it has been still 5 years that the gas price is stable in the Republic of Armenia, and I think that there is probability that at least also the gas price will remain the same for 8 years, if bigger geopolitical and market changes do not take place in the world,” The Deputy Minister clarified.

The Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Regional and Eurasian Integration Vagharshak Hakobyan assured that the Republic of Armenia will fulfill its obligations within the framework of the EEU presidency.

The RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Armen Simonyan referred to the transport policy being pursued within the framework of the EEU, noting that every three years a roadmap is worked out on the EEU platform. He informed that to solve the problems arising from weather conditions a new road is built in the part of road leading to Stepantsminda-Lars with a total length of 22 km. It was designed that in the end of 2024, the road will be operated, but because of some technical problems, the highway will operate in 2025.