TEHRAN (Iran News) – In a meeting with the Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, the Oil Minister stressed readiness of the Iranian gas network to start a gas swap from Turkmenistan and to increase gas exports to this country.
Javad Owji, after meeting with Gnel Sanosyan on Monday afternoon (May 16th), while emphasizing the positive and constructive talks between the two sides, told Shana: “Negotiations for gas swap from Turkmenistan to Armenia through Iran have started and soon due to high capacity of Iran’s gas distribution network will achieve good results in this regard.”
He said that in his talks with the Armenian side, he had emphasized Iran’s readiness to swap gas from Turkmenistan to this country, adding that good agreements were reached in the negotiations on increasing gas exports, petrochemical products and comprehensive development.
Earlier before the meeting some Armenian sources had reported agreement between Tehran and Armenia over the increase of Iran’s gas exports to Russia while Russia is currently provides 80$ of Armenia’s required gas.
Iran and Armenia in 2004 signed an agreement for barter of gas and electricity for 20 years as Iran’s exported gas is consumed in power stations in Armenia and in return Iran imports electricity from Armenia. Armenia started import of Iran gas from mid-2009.
Meanwhile on Monday Owji announced that his ministry will launch more than 40 projects worth $30 billion by yearend.
The minister, who made the remarks on the sidelines of the last day of the 26th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition, told reporters, “We will mainly rely on domestic companies for supplying equipment for the projects.”
He described the exhibition, aka Iran Oil Show, as one of the largest and most prestigious oil and gas events in the world and continued, “More than 1,200 domestic and foreign companies have participated in the exhibition this year.”
A great number of contracts and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed on the sidelines of the exhibition, said Owji and added that this year’s Iran Oil Show got a greater welcome compared to the previous editions.
