Friday, October 20 2017 20:27

ArmInfo. Armenia will acquire Iranian gas only if it costs less than Russian gas. Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Ashot Manukyan stated this at a press conference in Yerevan on October 20.

According to him, since May 15, 2009, Iranian gas arrives in Armenia according to the agreement within the framework of the program "Gas in exchange for electricity." According to the barter scheme, 3 kWh of electricity is paid for Armenia's 1 cubic meter of Iranian gas. With the completion of the construction of the Iran-Armenia power line by the end of 2019, the volume of Iranian gas supplies will increase significantly, as will the supply of Armenian electricity to Iran. In this case, the minister continued, the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline will be completely filled. Ashot Manukyan also said that Armenian consumers have been using Iranian gas since August of this year, since scheduled repairs are being carried out on the main gas pipeline from Russia.

Answering the question of ArmInfo about the possibility of swap supplies of Turkmen gas to Armenia through Iran, the minister noted that this project was born out of a debt dispute between Ashgabat and Tehran. After the introduction of sanctions against Iran in 2012, this country did not pay Turkmenistan a debt for previously supplied natural gas for the amount of about $ 2 billion. On the initiative of Karen Karapetyan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Armenia is ready to participate in resolving this dispute through a discounted debt repayment. The matter is that Armenia will supply its enterprises to Turkmenistan, and Iran - gas to Armenia. Both Ashgabat and Tehran have adopted this proposal, according to the minister. In the near future, the first tripartite meeting is expected at the expert level, which will be held in Turkmenistan. At present, the terms of the meeting are being specified, the minister stressed.