COMMUNICATIONS WITH IRAN PROVIDE EXIT FOR ARMENIA TO OUTSIDE WORLD
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 14:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Any communications that connect Armenia with Iran,
let it be a gas pipeline, railway or oil pipeline, are an exit for
Armenia to the outside world, head of "Hay Dat" International Office
Giro Manoyan stated to a press conference in Yerevan.
He said, with this gas pipeline Armenia’s energy independence will
be ensured. "Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is a counterbalance to all
those projects, which bypass Armenia bringing her to isolation:
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Kars-Baku railway. Having such
dangerous neighbors as Turkey and Azerbaijan we must think about our
own security and exit to the outside world," Manoyan underscored.
The construction of the 141-km gas pipeline was launched in November
2004. Initially Armenia will receive 1.5 million cubic meters of
Iranian gas per day. The second stage supposes construction of
the pipeline from Kajaran to Ararat (150 km). The project totals
$200-250 million. The gas pipeline is built by Iran, Armenia and
Russia represented by GazProm and RAO UES of Russia. In the course
of the coming 20 years Iran will supply Armenia with 36 billion cu
m of gas. The ‘blue fuel’ will be processed into energy for further
export to Iran.