FIRST PHASE OF IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE OPENED

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
March 19, 2007 Monday 11:29 AM EST

DPA FINANCE Iran Energy Armenia First phase of Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline opened Tehran

The first phase of the joint Iran-Armenia gas pipeline was opened
Monday, state-television IRIB reported.

The pipeline was officially opened at the Armenian border town of
Meghri by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian host

President Robert Kocharian.

In the first phase, the 40-kilometre pipeline will provide Armenia
with 300 to 400 million cubic meters of gas per year.

In the second phase, another 70 kilometres would be added to the
pipeline and increase the gas export volume to over one billion cubic

meters, with the annual volume eventually reaching 2.5 billion cubic
meters by the year 2019.