Alexey Miller, Gazprom’s Management Committee Chairman and Robert Kocharyan, President of the Republic of Armenia held yesterday a working meeting.

The parties discussed the progress in gas deliveries to Armenia and issues related to the technical condition of gas transmission networks running in Armenia and neighboring gas transiting countries.

Alexey Miller and Robert Kocharyan examined activities of the ArmRosgazprom joint venture, the terms and conditions of the Abovyan UGS facility using and the possibility to increase its capacity as well as other issues of bilateral cooperation.

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Armenia does not produce gas and the country’s power sector largely depends on gas imports.

Gazprom resumed natural gas deliveries to Armenia in June 2003 and, at present, is the only gas supplier to the Republic. Gazexport, a 100% Gazprom subsidiary, delivers gas to the Armenian border, where gas is purchased by ArmRosgazprom.

In 2003, Gazprom provided Armenian consumers with 288.4 million cubic meters of natural gas and over the first 4 months of 2004, 513.9 million cubic meters. A total of some 1.4 bcm of gas are planned to be piped to Armenia this year.

The Armenia-situated Abovyan UGS facility capacity averages 85 million cubic meters, to be increased to 200 million cubic meters.

The ArmRosgazprom company was incorporated in December 1997. Gazprom, the Armenian Energy Ministry and ITERA own 45%, 45% and 10% of ArmRosgazprom’s stake, respectively.

ArmRosgazprom’s major business is arranging for natural gas deliveries to Armenia. In addition, the company transmits, stores, processes, distributes and sells natural gas as well as upgrades and expands the Armenian gas transmission and underground gas storage systems.

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