ArmInfo. On September 28, the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure held new public hearings on the draft government resolution "On recognizing the priority public interest in relation to 100% of the shares of Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC."
According to the press service of the Ministry, the public hearings were chaired by RA Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan. The hearings were attended by Acting Head of ENA CJSC Romanos Petrosyan, member of the Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia Sergey Aginyan, heads and representatives of energy system companies, media representatives, and citizens. Minister Khudatyan presented the content of the draft. In particular, he emphasized that the draft law on recognizing a priority public interest is based on an object of vital public importance in terms of electricity distribution, uninterrupted power supply to the population, the normal operation of social and strategic infrastructure facilities, the stability of the energy system, and consumer protection.
The participants did not submit any proposals or comments on the draft law, the statement noted.
It should be noted that the Armenian authorities initiated the process of recognizing the shares of Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC as an object of exclusive priority public interest with the goal of their subsequent nationalization. The Armenian government adopted a draft law recognizing 100% of ENA shares as an object of public interest, with appropriate compensation to the current owners. Approximately 70% of ESA shares (172,496 shares) are owned by Tashir Capital CJSC, and the remaining approximately 30% (73,927 shares) are owned by Liormand Holdings Limited. The decision is accompanied by litigation and disputes surrounding the company's license, with opposition and expert circles assessing the situation as government pressure on businesses associated with the company's owners.
As a reminder, Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC has belonged to businessman Samvel Karapetyan's Tashir Group of Companies since 2016. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his intention to nationalize the company after a search of his home and his arrest in the summer of 2025. Parliament later passed a law allowing for the appointment of an interim state manager. In August, Tashir Capital challenged both the law itself and the appointment of Romanos Petrosyan in the Administrative Court, and also appealed to the Stockholm Arbitration Court. On July 22, 2025, the arbitration court suspended the relevant decisions and called for a refrain from further steps to seize assets. However, the Armenian government stated that this decision was not binding, citing the priority of national legislation. On November 17, Tashir Capital lost its license to manage Electric Grids of Armenia. Following this, the Prime Minister announced that the state was considering buying out the company. Options being discussed included placing Electric Grids of Armenia under direct state management and transferring it to an international operator.
