IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE NOT COUNTERBALANCE OF BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SECRETARY STATED

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is not a rival or counterbalance to Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Armenian foreign ministry press secretary Dzyunik Aghajanian told "Iravunk" Armenian newspaper about it. In her words, building the gas pipeline aims at providing Armenia with an alternative opportunity of gas supply, in particular, with a relevant energy source in case of closing the Armenian atomic power station. Meanwhile, as the press secretary noted, "there is no doubt that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was initially planned as a political project, as according to all expert estimates, it is considered unprofitable." She did not agree with the opinion that "building of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline can hamper the Armenian-Iranian pipeline or vice versa," adding that the international community also viewed the two projects as counterweights to each other. Although, in D. Aghajanian's words, some time ago the US has really come against building the gas pipeline, which is quite natural within the context of the relations between US and Iran. Nevertheless, she emphasized the Armenian party had always stated that the project of building the gas pipeline proceeded from the interest of energetic security of Armenia and was not at variance with the act of US sanctions regarding Iran. She expressed opinion that "it cannot shake US-Armenian relations in any way, as they rest on a totally different basis."