YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. Gohar Iskandaryan, a specialist in Iranian studies, commenting Thursday on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s statement on his country’s readiness to export natural gas to Georgia through Armenia, said this statement can’t be a mere word. 

“This shows that discussions with Georgia have already been,” she said. “I assume the matter has been discussed also with Russia.”

President Rouhani said yesterday at a joint news conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Iran is willing to increase the volume of gas supplied to Armenia. 

He also said Iran is prepared to launch tripartite cooperation in exporting gas to Georgia.

Gohar Iskandaryan finds it necessary to talk to Russia over they matter, since Iran conveys gas to Armenia through the pipeline owned by Russia’s Gazprom Armenia, and Armenia can’t afford to build a new pipeline. She finds Russia’s permission necessary. In her opinion, Rouhani’s words give grounds for thinking that certain discussions have already been conducted, and this is what the Iranian president meant.  

Now, she said, Armenian diplomats should talk to Iran, Georgia and Russia for putting these ideas into reality. “It is very important to Armenia to be completely integrated in regional processes,” Iskandaryan said. -0—