MOSCOW, JULY2, ARMENPRESS. Protests in Armenia that launched following the decision on the electricity tariff hike are purely economic in nature, though an attempt is made to politicize them. As Armenpress informs, citing “RIA Novosti”, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation - Sergei Lavrov – stated the aforementioned on July 2.

 “You know how color revolutions, Ukraine’s Maidan and the current situation in Armenia started. There is a temptation to utilize them to escalate anti-government moods though the roots of those events are purely economic,” Lavrov said adding that apparently it seems useful for someone to go further and attribute a political context to these protest.

The new electricity tariff was approved at the session of Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia on June 17.  The electricity price has increased by 6, 93 AMD, reaching 48, 78 AMD per 1 kWh. Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC had suggested increasing the electricity price by 17 AMD per 1 kWh. 

237 citizens protesting against electricity price hike were arrested from Baghramyan Avenue and the territory near the Freedom Square on June 23 for violating the public order. The police used physical force and dispersed the demonstration by using water cannon. A number of activists and journalists were detained. Later they were released and continued their protest for days on. The President of the Republic of Armenia announced that the increased electricity tariff will be subsidized. Hovik Abrahamyan stated in a briefing with journalists that the government will subsidize the increased electricity tariff by non-budget means.