YEREVAN, December 20. /ARKA/. Armenian Ambassador to Iran Artashes Tumanyan speaking Wednesday at a meeting themed 'Iran-Armenia ties, opportunities and challenges' Armenia will import larger volumes of natural gas from Iran, Iran.ru reports referring to Iran Daily.  

He also unveiled Yerevan’s intention to increase its electric energy export to Iran and expressed hope that trade turnover between the two countries will grow soon. 

The ambassador said that recent political developments in Armenia have not impacted his country’s foreign policy. 

Commenting on Washington's pressure on Yerevan to reduce relations with Iran, he said: "The US has talked with Armenia about Tehran-Yerevan ties, and they have realized that relations with Tehran are of high significance to us."

Meanwhile, Chairman of Iran-Armenia Friendship Society Mohammadreza Damavandi complained that despite developed historic political and cultural relations, the two countries have failed to broaden relations to desirable extent.

Although Tehran and Yerevan have set a target of $1 billion in trade exchanges, they have achieved only $200 million to $250 million.

In December, Garegin Baghramyan, Armenian acting energy infrastructures and natural resources minister, said that the Unites States’ sanctions against Iran will have absolutely no impact on the Armenian-Iranian program “Gas for Electric Energy”. He said then that as soon as the construction of the third high-voltage line is completed the program will be expanded. 

Armenia started receiving natural gas from Iran through the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline under the mentioned program in May 2015 conveying 3 kWh for 1 cubic meter of gas. 

The Iran-paid construction of the third 400-kilowatt high-voltage line is under way now. –0—