IranMania News, Iran
Jan 7 2007

Facilities for Iran gas supply to Armenia ready

Sunday, January 07, 2007 – ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, January 7 (IranMania) – Iran has installed facilities
required for export of natural gas to Armenia near the Aras River,
which borders the two countries, said the official in charge of
implementing the project.

Mohammad Reza Lorzadeh, told ILNA that Armenia is not yet prepared to
receive the gas, stressing that the Iranian side has made all
arrangements for the project to get started.

`The Armenian side has asked for a meeting in late March to discuss
the gas export project as well as Armenia’s power exports to Iran,`
he said.
He said the Iranian side has fulfilled its commitments on the
construction of the pipeline and export of gas to Armenia, adding
that Iran is ready to begin gas supply to the former Soviet nation at
anytime.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in Yerevan last month
that the inauguration of the pipeline for importing gas from Iran has
been postponed due to technical reasons.

The minister said at a press conference that the project was due to
be launched in late December, adding that the pipeline is ready and
will have to undergo certain technical tests before being made
operational.

Oskanian said the Iranian party has announced that it is planning to
launch the project by March.

He said it would be most logical to transfer the management of the
project to Russia’s Gazprom Company.

The minister added, however, that a final decision has yet to be made
in this respect.

Armenian energy officials have blamed bad weather for the
postponement of the project.

Armenian sources have announced that the country will be importing
2.5 bln cubic meters of gas annually from Iran as of 2008.