Iran to triple gas supply to Armenia by 2018July 26, 2016 - 15:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran’s oil minister announced that on the basis of a new agreement between Tehran and Yerevan, Iranian gas will be transported to Georgia via Armenia, Mehr news agency reports. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Levon Yolyan, Iran’s Bijan Zanganeh said transit of Iranian gas via Armenia was in the spotlight of the session. The official said a small deal was signed with a Georgian buyer for gas sales estimating that the agreement will become operational in the current year. Iran’s minister of oil, while pointing to the recent request by Armenia for increased purchase of gas from Iran due to a problem with the gas pipeline from Russia, said “at the order of Iran’s First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri as well as Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, gas delivery to the Caucasus country was increased from 1 to 3.5 million cubic meters.” “The Russian pipeline will be operational again in 40 days, Iran increased gas sales to Armenia on the basis of a contract,” the official continued. Zanganeh said Iran pursues the policy of strengthening energy ties with neighbors, especially in the sphere of gas exports; “while not a large consumer, Armenia is an important route for exports of Iranian gas.” Armenia has also made a proposal to increase gas purchase from Iran aimed at increasing the export volume from the current 1 million cubic meters to 3 million cubic meters per day by late 2018. Iranian oil minister further reiterated that “in exchange for each cubic meter of gas, Iran received three kilowatt hours of electricity from Armenia at the border, and the figure has now climbed to 3.2 kWh.” Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |