Armenia and Turkmenistan are negotiating a deal to purchase natural gas from the state-run Turkmengaz, with plans to deliver it to Armenia through Iranian territory. This was revealed by Artashes Tumanyan, advisor to Armenia’s Prime Minister, during the 10th session of the Armenian-Turkmen Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation held in Yerevan.

Tumanyan said Armenian delegations had visited Turkmenistan several times in recent years to discuss various energy-related projects. He outlined three key areas under negotiation, according to Armenpress.

“The first involves Armenia’s intent to sign a contract to buy natural gas from Turkmengaz, for which several rounds of talks have already taken place. Armenia presented its expectations, and all technical aspects of the project were discussed. The concept is to purchase gas from Turkmengaz, transport it through Iran under a SWAP scheme, and deliver it to the Iran-Armenia border,” Tumanyan explained.

Since Iran is a key partner in the project, negotiations were also held with Tehran, which has given its approval to proceed.

The deal anticipates purchasing between 600 million and 1 billion cubic meters of gas. However, Tumanyan noted that agreement on pricing has yet to be finalized, and negotiations are ongoing.

The two sides also discussed a potential extension of the route to allow Turkmen gas exports to Georgia via Armenia, using the same SWAP system. According to Tumanyan, Georgia has responded positively to the proposal.

“If realized, this would eventually allow Turkmen gas to reach Black Sea basin countries,” Tumanyan added.

The second area of discussion involves the purchase of electricity from Turkmenistan. The Turkmen side has proposed a price considered acceptable by Armenia. However, the format for efficiently using the electricity remains unclear.

“We thought it could be used in the Armenia-Iran gas-for-electricity program, but no final decision has been reached,” Tumanyan said, adding that talks continue.

The third area concerns the supply of various oil and gas products from Turkmenistan to Armenia or other potential markets.

“The ball is now in our court. We must provide Armenian companies with information and consulting support so they can operate within Turkmenistan’s business environment,” Tumanyan emphasized.