Armenia Working on Finding Profitable Route to Transit Iranian Gas to Georgia

Armenia needs to find profitable routes to become a transit country for the transfer of Iranian natural gas to Georgia, a senior official said Thursday.

Ruling Republican Party of Armenia National Assembly (NA) Faction member Vardan Ayvazyan, who is also Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, stated the talks are underway with Iran, Armenia News reported.

Meanwhile early last month, a senior Iranian energy official stated that Tehran is contemplating fivefold increase in gas exports to Armenia subject to certain pre-conditions. Alireza Kamali, the managing director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), said this could materialise given that Armenia constructs a new electricity transmission line between the two countries.

Iran and Armenia signed a deal in 2004 based on which the Iranian gas is used by Armenian power plants to generate electricity and in return, Armenia exports the electricity to Iran.

Currently, Iran exports nearly one million cubic meters of natural gas to Armenia per daily, Kamali said.