Energy Minister: Agreement on supply of Iranian gas to Georgia via Armenia has not been legally arranged yet

ArmInfo. Agreement on supply of Iranian gas to Georgia via Armenian territory has not been legally arranged yet, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Yervand Zakharyan announced in the National Assembly today, answering to MP from Armenian National Congress opposition faction Lyudmila Sargsyan's question.

As the Minister noted currently 10-15% of the gas pipeline capacity are being used. This allows Armenia to attract additional 500 mln cubic meters of gas for transit to Georgia. Zakharyan emphasized that negotiations on transit of Iranian gas to Georgia continue and currently no decisions have been made yet.

Earlier, Ali-Reza Kameli, Director General of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), said that Tehran and Tbilisi are negotiating about the supply of 200 mln cm of Iranian gas to Georgia via Armenia's territory. "Georgian state and private enterprises are interested in purchasing gas from Iran. It is expected that the supply of Iranian gas to Georgia will start next Iranian year (from March 21)", Kameli noted, adding that the sides will sign preliminary contract at first. "The first contract will be signed for 7 months and will serve as a basis for possible further cooperation in this field. If the economic feasibility of the deal is proven in the future the matter may concern mid-term and long-term contracts on supply of Iranian gas to Georgia", Iranian official informed.

Currently Georgia receives 88% of consumed gas from Azerbaijan and 12% from Russia.  Georgia receives Russian gas as a payment for transit via its territory of Russian gas to Armenia.  Tehran does not clarify how it is technically possible to export gas to Georgia via Armenia by running pipelines. Back in December Chairman of Gazprom Aleksey Miller stated that the issue relates to so-called swap scheme. In this case Iranian gas will be supplied to Armenia by a pipeline, which belongs to Gazporm, while the Russian gas, which was earlier supplied to Armenia, will remain in Georgia.

Meanwhile, Minister of Energy of Georgia Kakha Kaladze prefers to talk about the possibility of seasonal supply of electricity, in which according to Kaladze Armenia may be a transit country.  "We can sell electricity to Iran via Armenia, and in winter season when the electricity consumption grows we can import it from Iran via Armenia", Kaladze said.