CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE IS MAIN
COMPONENT FOR PROVIDING ARMENIA’s ENERGY SECURITY

YEREVAN, JULY 19. ARMINFO. The construction project of Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline is the main component for Armenia’s energy security,
Armenia’s deputy energy minister Areg Galstyan stated at today’s
seminar on “Armenia’s energy security”.

In his words, this project has been involved into Armenia’s energy
development strategy till 2025 ratified recently by country’s
government. Galstyan noted that active construction works are being
continued at present at the first section from Meghri to Kajaran. He
assured that the project will be realized completely in late 2006.

Two agreements were signed between the Yerevan TPS and Iranian national
company on gas export within the framework of Iranian petroleum and
gas minister Bizhan Zangane to Yerevan on May 13-14, 2004. The first
concerned the direct purchasing of the Iranian gas, the second –
the payment of Iranian “pale blue fuel” with supplies of Armenian
electric power from the Yerevan TPS – 3 kw-hour per one cubic meter
of gas. These documents determine that the program will start from
January 1, 2007. Later on, next two agreements were signed during a
September visit of Iranian president Mohammad Khattami to Armenia. One
of them concerned the allotment of $30 mln by the Iranian Bank of
reconstruction and export for the construction of the Meghri-Kajaran
first section of the gas pipeline.

An agreement between “High-voltage network” CJSC and Iranian “Sanir”
company on the construction of 42-km gas pipeline section in Armenia’s
territory was signed on the base of this document. The Iranian party,
in its turn, undertook to construct a 110 km pipeline section from
Tavriz to Meghri. “However, the realization of this part of the project
will not allow to fulfill the terms of the contract as the Iranian
party undertook to provide Armenia with no less than 1 bln cubic
meter of gas, which the capacities of the first section do not allow,
Simonyan noted adding that is why it is necessary to continue the gas
pipeline construction on two directions – 55.4 km Kajaran-Sisian and
99.7 km Jermuk-Ararat.

At present, construction works on the first section in direction
of Meghri-Kajaran in Armenia and Tavriz-Nordus in Iran have been
started. “Sanir” company – a general contractor of the project,
conducted a tender and signed an agreement with a subcontracted
Iranian company. Specialists of “ArmRosgasprom” CJSC participate at
the gas pipeline construction in Armenia’s territory, Simonyan noted.