YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. Iran may export its natural gas to Georgia through the territory of Armenia by using the so-called swap transactions, Armenian Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Ashot Manukyan said to the parliament today.



Manukyan said in order to ensure transit of gas it is not necessary to build a gas pipeline across the country, since in the modern world everyone uses swap deals. He explained that Armenia may organize transit of Iranian gas to Georgia by pumping Iranian gas and using it at home and instead sell the gas it receives from Russia to a Georgian private or state-owned company.



"There is no need for additional transit or new pumping facilities. The available resources are sufficient, the main task is how competitive the price of gas and the terms of export are," Manukyan said.



Iran's ambassador to Armenia said in mid-February that his country was ready to sell gas to Armenia at an affordable price, if there were an interest from the Armenian side. However, the Armenian side stated that it did not receive concrete proposals, including more acceptable gas price. Armenia currently receives gas from Iran only as part of the so-called gas for electricity deal.



According to the Armenian ministry, in 2017, the volume of gas imports from Russia increased by 7% to 1 billion 996 million cubic meters, while imports form Iran grew by 2.9% to 382.7 million cubic meters. The total gas consumption in Armenia in 2017 increased by 5.3%.



In early April 2016, Russia cut the price of natural gas for Armenia (at the border) from $165 to $150 per thousand cubic meters. It 2018 the gas prices for Armenia was to be raised. However, following the Armenian-Russian talks in Yerevan, Russian Gazprom decided not to increase the gas price for Armenia and leave it at $150 per thousand cubic meters. --0--









16:49 21.03.2018