IRANIAN GAS TO WARM ARMENIAN HEARTHS

PRESS TV
May 12 2009
Iran

Iran-Armenia gas pipeline at Saralenj Armenia’s famed cuisine will have
a slight Iranian flavor from this week, as they will be prepared —
at least partially — on Iranian natural gas within days.

Iran is set to turn on the tap this week to Armenia, on the back of a
deal signed in May 2004, said the National Iranian Gas Export Company
Managing Director, Seyyed Reza Kasaiizadeh, in an interview on Sunday
published in the Tehran Times.

Kasaiizadeh, who was on his way to Armenia on Monday for the formal
inauguration of the pipeline, said that the volume of gas exports
could reach 4 million cubic meters (141.3 million cu-ft) per day in
2011 and then rise to 6.3 million cubic meters (222.5 million cu-ft)
per day afterwards.

The gas is being transported via a 762-mm (30-inch) diameter pipeline
that runs for 113 km (71 miles) from Tabriz in East Azerbaijan Province
on to the Iran-Armenia border.

The deal was due to be activated in 2007, but Armenia requested a delay
as it said it was not ready to distribute the gas it was to receive,
Kasaiizadeh added.

Under the bilateral contract, Armenia is to pay for the gas by
electricity from Armenian power plants.

The announcement comes a month after the Armenian President, Serzh
Sarkisian, paid a two-day visit to Iran.

During his stay in Tehran, eight agreements were inked between the
two sides that underlined Iran and Armenia’s commitments to further
developing their relations through additional significant dollar
infrastructure, transport, and energy projects.