IRAN-ARMENIA OIL PIPELINE PROJECT TO KICK OFF IN SUMMER ’09
Tehran Times
Dec 24 2008
Iran
TEHRAN – Armenia Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan announced on Monday
that the construction of the Iran-Armenia oil pipeline will begin in
the summer of 2009.
The Armenian City of Yeraskh will be the receiving terminal of the
pipeline running between the two neighboring countries.
According to IRNA, the 300-kilometer pipeline will run from Iran’s
northwestern city of Tabriz to Yeraskh to deliver the petrol and
diesel fuel from the oil refinery in Tabriz to Armenia.
Movsisyan estimated that the pipeline would be completed in two years
and would cost $200-240 million with each country covering half of
the cost.
"In order to secure the country’s needed energy, we intend to increase
the number of our suppliers," Movsisyan continued.
The two countries constructed a linking gas pipeline in 2007 and
agreed to transfer 36 million cubic meters of gas to Armenia within
20 years and in return Iran will receive 3.3 billion kilowatts of
energy from Armenia.
Armenia and Iran enjoy cultural and historical ties dating back
thousands of years. There are no border disputes between the two
countries and the Christian Armenian minority in Iran enjoys official
recognition.