ArmInfo. US anti-Iranian sanctions will not be able to affect the implementation of the program "Gas in exchange for electric energy". Acting Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Garegin Baghramyan stated to journalists on December 6.
According to Baghramian, during the November meeting with representatives of the State Department, the Armenian side presented the details of the program, the total cost of which is estimated at $ 1 billion. "The return of investment is the construction of Iran-Armenia power transmission line and the new TPP can only be achieved within the framework of the implementation of the Gas for Electricity program," he explained, stressing that the US side was sympathetic to this reality, therefore there are no barriers to full implementation project to life.
Meanwhile, since 2008, Armenia has been supplying Iranian gas within the framework of the "Gas for Electricity" program. Karen Nazaryan also touched upon the issue of Iranian gas supplies to Armenia in the context of the latest US anti-Iran sanctions. As the Deputy Minister pointed out, since 2008 Iranian gas has been supplied to Armenia within the framework of the "Gas for Electricity" program. The program has already managed to prove its effectiveness, which inspired the European partners, who, in the light of recent sanctions threats, may try to learn from Armenian experience. "Being a small country, we are able to export our experience," Nazaryan stressed. To note, the interdepartmental expert group of the US State Secretariat and Treasury visited Yerevan on November 15-16 to study the sanctions policy directed against Iran with Armenian colleagues from government and business circles. As reported by the US Embassy in Armenia, through such visits for the states of the world, the US sanctions policy towards Iran is clarified and explained. According to the information, the delegation highlighted US efforts to change the negative behavior of the Iranian regime, by maximizing economic and diplomatic pressure, while noting areas of cooperation with partner countries such as Armenia.
Iran is supplying gas to Armenia within the framework of the gas-for-electricity deal at 1 cubic meter of gas in exchange for 3 kW / h of electricity. Within the framework of this program, as the deputy minister believes, there are no restrictions. Moreover, this year it is planned to significantly increase the volume of gas supplies from Iran. In 2017, 382.7 million cubic meters of gas were delivered from Iran, of which 1.996 billion cubic meters from Russia. At the same time, the volume of gas supplies from Russia increased by 7% last year, and from Iran - by 2.9%. As for direct gas supplies from Iran, the issue here is limited by the price. "Since the Iranian side, there have been no proposals for a more affordable price for gas than gas coming from Russia, when a more competitive price is obtained, then the issue will be discussed," the deputy minister said, adding that only in January of this year the volume of electricity supplies to Iran in exchange for gas increased by 104%.
