January 9, 2007 - 14:46 AMT
Oskanian: Yerevan Ready to Exploit Iran-Armenia Gas Pipeline
The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline will work, as was supposed, on March of 2007, told Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian to a news conference in Yerevan. In his words, physically the pipeline is ready, but it needs to be tested in order to eliminate defects. "The gas pipeline will be exploited in time. As to Iranian side statement that Armenia is not ready to exploit the pipeline, I do not consider it right," Oskanian underlined.
Alongside, he stressed that during the last year the Armenian-Iranian relations underwent new development. The Armenian Foreign Minister reminded that Armenian President Robert Kocharian had a working visit to Tehran on July. "The Armenian-Iranian relations have regional importance, the main point of which is Armenia's joining to the transportation corridor 'North-South'. In this regard a meeting was held in Yerevan on September and the Armenian, Georgian and Iranian Ministers of Energy participated in the meeting," Oskanian said.
He also underscored the uninterrupted work of Meghri custom-house on the border of Armenia and Iran. In his words, talks are being held on opening a RA consulate general in Tabriz.