GAZPROM COMPANY RUSSIAN SPECIALISTS ARRIVED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net - Gazprom company Russian specialists have arrived in Yerevan to study the Armenian part of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline route. In the words of Gazprom Deputy head Alexander Ryazanov, a capital of $140 million is necessary to realize the Armenian part of the project in question, Regnum news agency reported. Three parties will take part in the pipeline building - Iran, the Armenian Government and Russia represented by RAO UES of Russia. ArmRosgazprom has already set about the building of Meghri-Kajaran segment. According to the basic Armenian-Iranian agreement, the gas pipeline will be put into operation January 1, 2007. Within the following 20 years Iran will provide 36 billion cubic meters of gas to Armenia. The blue fuel will be processed here into electric power, which is subject to export back to Iran. Sanir Iranian company is the project contractor, while ArmRosgazprom is the sub-contractor (Gazprom and the Armenian Government hold 45% of the company shares each and Itera group of companies possess the remaining 10%). The project is estimated to cost $200-250 million, $30 million out of it being the cost of the first part of the Armenian segment of the pipeline making 41km - from Meghri town near the Iranian border to Kajaran - are already provided by the Export and Development Bank of Iran. Realization of that stage will allow Armenia receiving 1.5 million cubic meters of gas daily.