RIA OREANDA
Economic Press Review
March 17, 2004 Wednesday

Iran Increases Gas Export

SOURCE: Tehran. VREAMYA NOVOSTEI

Iran intends to increase natural gas export as a whole and in
European countries, in particular. The Iranian authorities have
already negotiated the issue with Ukraine , Bulgaria and Romania to
deliver gas via the Iran-Russia-Ukraine-Europe pipeline. The
Iran-Turkey-Romania-Bulgaria route may be the alternative. Within the
following 10 years roughly $45 billion will be required for Iran to
make investments into the petroleum branch and $4billion into the gas
branch, claimed an Oil Ministry spokesman. By the end of the current
year they may start to construct the Iran-Armenian gas pipeline which
will be one of the main energy sources for the country after closing
the Armenia Nuclear Power Plant, said Vardan Khachatryan, the
Armenian Minister of Finance and Economy.