Russia is ready to reduce gas prices for Armenia in 2010 to $ 180 for 1 thousand cubic meters, said chairman, CEO ArmRosGazprom Karen Karapetyan reporters on Tuesday.

Today we are in negotiations with Gazprom. By prior arrangement, to April 1, 2010 gas price for Armenia will be $ 180 per 1 thousand cu. m against the previously agreed $ 200. Negotiations are continuing, but we develop our development strategy, taking the base price of $ 180 , - said K. Karapetyan.

Karapetyan denied in some Russian media that Russia was ready to make concessions in gas prices, subject to obtaining a monopoly in the construction or management of the new atomic power plants in Armenia. Negotiations on the price of gas has nothing to do with the construction of nuclear power, - he said.

From April 1, 2009 Armenia buys gas from Russia at a price of $ 154 per 1 thousand cubic meters. m against the previous $ 110. In 2008 in Armenia from Russia was delivered 2.2 billion cubic meters. meters of gas.

addition, Karapetyan said that in 2009 in Armenia is expected to reduce consumption of natural gas compared with the previous year by 15%.

currently registered 22%-tion decline in gas consumption. In these circumstances Armrosgazprom likely not be able to make a profit.

head of the company noted that the reason for this - the reduction of gas consumption and exchange rate fluctuations. In these circumstances, the company has not put Supertask to raise gas prices because it will have an additional burden on consumers and lead to a further reduction in the market, Karapetian said.

However, he noted that the financial flows of the company are managed so that no major investment project will not be affected and will be completed in time.

Over the past four years investment ArmRosgazprom amounted to $ 700-750 million

Chapter ArmRosgazprom also said that in the near future the company plans to attract Gazprombank loan to finance investment projects.

Loan Amount Karapetyan did not say, noting that the funds will be enough to survive the severe crisis in 2009. He said that ArmRosgazprom today formed a large loan portfolio - the company received a loan from the Germanic bank KfW, the Iranian Export Development Bank, from American institutions.

earlier reported that ArmRosgazprom is negotiating with several foreign investors to raise a loan of $ 40 million with a maturity of 6-7 years. Funds are needed to ensure that timely completion of construction and modernization of the fifth power Razdan thermal power plant. With the same end, the Armenian government has recently decided to request the company to provide Armrosgazprom budget loan of $ 40 million for 6 months at a rate of 11% per annum.