Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 27
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, who is on an official visit in Turkmenistan (March 27-28), told reporters that the two neighboring countries should do their utmost to use the potential of swap supplies of Turkmen gas through Iran, a source close to the talks told Trend.
“We must develop swap agreements,” Rouhani told reporters March 27 following his meeting with Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Iran can also provide transit for the supply of electricity to third countries. Moreover, Rouhani noted that it is necessary for Turkmenistan and Iran to discuss in detail the issues of cooperation in the oil and gas industry in order to make final decisions on this issue.
Iran has been receiving Turkmen gas via several branches and the main one is the Korpezhe-Kurt-Kui gas pipeline, which was commissioned in December 1995. In 2010, an additional gas pipeline was opened along the Dovletabad-Serakhs-Khangeran route.
However, Ashgabat said previously that Turkmenistan was forced to limit the supply of Turkmen natural gas to Iran due to debts from January 1, 2017. Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry said that the National Iranian Gas Company has not made the necessary efforts since early 2013 to repay its debt for previously supplied Turkmen natural gas.
“As a result, the Iranian side has generated a significant debt, which creates financial difficulties for maintaining the work of Turkmenistan’s gas transportation infrastructure in the regular mode, which is focused on gas supplies to Iran under a long-term contract,” the message said.
According to Iran’s Press TV, Ashgabat demanded at that time from Tehran to pay the debt worth $1.8 billion for the supplies in 2007-2008.