Armenia Keen to Import Iran’s Natural Gas

(FNA)- Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan voiced his country's willingness to buy natural gas from Iran in the near future.

Movsisyan said Armenia would soon start negotiations with Iran on increasing gas imports from the Islamic Republic.

Armenia is willing to buy two billion cubic meters of gas from Iran per annum, he added.

The Armenian minister added that the issue of buying two billion cubic meters of gas would be discussed in a joint intergovernmental commission between the two countries on economic cooperation which would be held in Tehran in May.

Early in November, Iranian Energy Minister Hamid chitchian and his Armenian counterpart Ara Simonian, in a meeting in Tehran, called for the further expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries, specially in electricity fields.

During the meeting, the Iranian energy minister pointed to the current status of Iran-Armenia relations, and said, “The two countries enjoy very close cooperation in the fields of energy and electricity.”

He underlined that the two sides have also agreed to create a joint venture to run a new power transfer line.

The Armenian energy minister, for his part, said that Armenia supports the construction of the third line for transfer of high-voltage electricity and Aras Hydroelectric Power Station.

In a similar meeting in Moscow in December, Chitchian and Simonian underlined the need for boosting bilateral energy relations in the near future.

Chitchian pointed to the high level of political relations between the two countries, and said, “We believe that under the current circumstances cooperation between the two countries can be further developed in the fields of oil, gas and electricity.”

The Armenian energy minister, for his part, said that Iran and Armenia enjoy very close cooperation, adding that Yerevan attaches great significance to its ties with Tehran.

Simonian also expressed hope that Iran-Armenia ties would gain momentum during the presidency of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.