Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the country will continue to seek alternative sources of gas, regardless of whether the cost of Russian supplies changes.

"If there is an opportunity to obtain gas from a second source or to increase supply volumes from there, we will pursue that path. If there is an opportunity to obtain gas from a third or fourth source, we will pursue that path as well," Pashinyan said on September 11 during a briefing following a government meeting.

He described the diversification of supplies as part of Armenia's policy to strengthen the state's independence.

According to him, gas in Armenia can no longer be considered cheap; the cost of the fuel from the border to the end consumer remains among the highest compared to other countries. The Prime Minister also noted that Gazprom Armenia is a profitable company.

Pashinyan acknowledged that a potential increase in the cost of Russian gas could lead Armenian authorities to revise domestic prices for certain goods and services.

"If a situation arises involving a cost increase, we will also look at what prices might be raised or, for instance, which services currently provided for free might become paid services," the Prime Minister stated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that Moscow sells gas to Armenia at $177.5 per thousand cubic meters. During a meeting with Pashinyan on April 1, he compared this price to the European rate, which, according to him, exceeded $600 per thousand cubic meters at the time.

At that same meeting, Putin noted the growth of Armenian exports to Eurasian Economic Union countries and stated that the choice of future directions for economic cooperation remains with the Armenian authorities.

Recently, during a meeting in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO summit, Putin and Pashinyan also publicly debated Armenia's future foreign economic policy. The Russian president stated that adopting legislation to initiate the process of joining the European Union would effectively mean the country’s withdrawal from the EAEU, "because membership in both is incompatible." Pashinyan disagreed with this interpretation, stating that Armenia had not informed its partners of any intention to leave the EAEU and noting that the procedure for such a withdrawal is explicitly outlined in the treaty establishing the union. According to him, the country is required to notify the other members of the bloc of such a decision six months in advance.

It is worth noting that Russia is no longer designated as a strategic ally in Armenia’s new government program for 2026–2031.