From: "Katia M. Peltekian" <[email protected]>
Subject: Iran, Armenia To Build Oil Pipeline
Zawya, United Arab Emirates
Dec 21 2008
Iran, Armenia To Build Oil Pipeline
21 December 2008
Iran and Armenia will start building an oil pipeline in 2009 which
starts from the Iranian city of Tabriz and continues to the Armenian
city of Eraskh, a senior Iranian official said. The remarks were made
during a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
and visiting Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen
Movsisian.
From Tabriz Oil Refinery, Armenia will receive benzene and diesel, and
for facilitating business activities, Armenia will open a consulate in
Tabriz. The Ministers also discussed the possibility of building a
hydro electro power station on Aras River, Fars News Agency reported.
Oil Refinery
Earlier Movsisian stated that Iran, Armenia and Russia had planned to
construct an oil refinery in the city of Eraskh. However, Russia later
withdrew from the project, effectively frustrating it.
Iranian Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said that a ministry
delegation will travel to Turkey to discuss construction of a pipeline
to take Iran’s gas to Europe. Nozari said Iran and Turkey are aiming
to set up a joint venture for the construction of two pipelines
transporting natural gas from the Islamic Republic to the Turkish and
Greek borders.
The joint venture was discussed as Nozari–en route to attend a
crucial meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC)Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)–made a
stop off in Ankara and met with his Turkish counterpart Hilmi Guler
last Tuesday.
The two ministers met in an effort to advance a broader memorandum of
understanding, signed in November, which includes Turkish
participation in developing three phases of the South Pars gas field.
Nozari said that an oil ministry delegation will travel to Turkey by
the end of next week to discuss construction of the pipeline and other
details included in the agreement.
Responding to a question on the level of Iranian natural gas exports
to Europe, he said, "Within the framework of the agreement, it’s been
decided to guarantee the company constructing the pipeline, from the
Iranian border to the Greek border, for delivery of 30 to 35 million
cubic meters of gas a day."
Peace Pipeline
Meantime, Iran and India have resumed negotiation over the
long-awaited 7.4 billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline
project in New Delhi.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mehdi Akhoundzadeh met with
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss ways to break the
deadlock over the giant project also called the ‘peace pipeline’.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have hobbled talks on the peace
pipeline, based on which Iran intends to supply gas to the two nuclear
power rivals after laying a 2,600-kilometer pipeline. The IPI gas
pipeline project has been delayed by repeated disputes over prices and
transit fees.
The pipeline is expected to initially transfer 60 million cubic meters
of natural gas per day from Iran to Pakistan and India. Earlier, both
sides decided to set up a trilateral ministerial mechanism to resolve
obstacles facing the project.
Under the mechanism, the meeting between India, Pakistan and Iran will
be held to address different issues related to the plan. The decision,
taken after a request from India to Iran, reflects New Delhi’s
willingness to go ahead with the project to fulfill its energy needs.
In June, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who met
Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora, said that the two sides have resolved
all bilateral issues.
© Iran Daily 2008
53401/Iran,%20Armenia%20To%20Build%20Oil%20Pipelin e
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
