April 30, 2002 - 23:45 AMT
AGREEMENT ON TURKMEN SIDE PARTICIPATION IN IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO BE SIGNED IN NEAREST FUTURE
The work on realization of the project of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction is going on according to the schedule. Armenian Minister of energy Armen Movsisian has stated about this at the press conference today. According to him, in the nearest future the agreement stipulating the extent and ways of participation of the Turkmen side in the project will be signed. It is expected the agreement will be signed in the course of the forthcoming official visit of the Turkmen President to Yerevan. It should be reminded the project stipulates, first of all, the transportation of the Turkmen gas to Armenia through the Irani territory. The Armenian side is interested in the delivery of relatively inexpensive Turkmen gas the price of which is about $40-43 for a thousand cubic meters. (Now Armenia gets "Itera" concern gas for $55 for a thousand of cubic meters.) The construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is expected to be started at the end of this year.