French Ambassador to Armenia Jean- Francois Charpentier has commented on the protests in Yerevan against the electricity price hike. "We are closely following the developments," the Ambassador said calling it normal that people make their demands. It fits into the logic of democratic processes, the diplomat told reporters on June 29.
"We want that a decision acceptable to everyone and to economy be found though dialogue and as soon as possible," Jean-Francois Charpentier said.
The public services watchdog adopted the decision to increase the electricity price by 6.93 drams on June 17 sparking thousands-strong protests in Armenia since June 19. ENA requested that the electricity price is increased by 17 drams.
On June 27, President Serzh Sargsyan said the Government will incur "the entire burden of the tariff increase." The president said ENA may be nationalized to be "transferred to competitive management." The president and the co-chair of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental committee, Transport Minister of Russia, Maxim Sokolov, arrived at a decision on the audit on June 26 in Yerevan.
David Haroutiunyan, Minister-Chief of the Government Staff, said audit of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) may take 3-6 months.