Russia not to purchase Iran-Armenia gasline

IranMania News, Iran
July 15 2006

Saturday, July 15, 2006 – ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, July 15 (IranMania) – Russia has no plans for the time being
to purchase the under-construction Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, said
Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

According to ISNA, the Armenian official further said at a joint
press conference with the Russian transportation minister that such
an agreement has not been reached with the Russian side because the
pipeline is yet to be completed.

The agency further quoted a spokesperson for Armenian energy minister
as saying that the Armenian party has not received any offer from
Russia’s Gazprom regarding the latter’s willingness to purchase the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

Lusine Harutyunyan said no negotiations have been held with Gazprom
in this respect.

ISNA quoted Gazprom’s deputy chairman, Alexander Ryazanov, as saying,
however, that Russia is keen on purchasing the pipeline, which is
under construction.

He said at the annual meeting of the company’s shareholders in Moscow
that the project will have the capacity to transfer 1.2 billion cubic
meters of gas per annum and that it will become operational in 2007.

The Russian official said the pipeline will provide Armenia with a
more reliable source of natural gas supply.

–Boundary_(ID_AnOkcGjNEjTv3xxQfgVweA)–
From: Baghdasarian