Armenia not in talks to replace Russian gas with Iranian: official

Armenia not in talks to replace Russian gas with Iranian: official

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia's Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Areg Galstyan said Thursday, December 24, the government was not negotiating a complete replacement of Russian gas with Iranian one, ARKA reports.

The West's decision to lift sanctions from Iran sparked media speculations that Armenia is negotiating the possibility of increasing the supply of gas from Iran as an alternative to delivery of Russian gas that arrives through Georgia. Some narratives argued that Armenia may also be used as a transit country for the shipment of Iranian gas to Europe.

Speaking to reporters, Galstyan refused to comment on the rumors, “as there is no such negotiation process.”

Recent media reports, however, quoted CEO of Russia’s natural gas producer Gazprom, Alexei Miller as saying that the company was in talks with Iran to offer gas supplies to Armenia under a swap agreement.

"Yes, we did discuss this issue; currently we are working on issues of exchange operations with our Iranian colleagues," Miller said at a meeting with Georgian Energy Minister Kakhaber Kaladze.

Presently, Gazprom is the main supplier of natural gas to Armenia, with Iranian gas shipped to Armenia under Gas for Electricity program.

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