Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 15
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
The oil and gas sector became the main topic of talks as part of the recent working visit of the Turkmen government delegation to Tehran, Nebit-Gaz, online newspaper of the Turkmen Oil and Gas Complex, reported May 15.
Discussion of swap supplies of Turkmen natural gas to Azerbaijan via Iran became one of the topics on the agenda of the meeting.
Gas swap operations on the Turkmen-Iranian border resumed after the March talks at the highest level in Ashgabat. An agreement was reached regarding the gas dispute to continue the negotiation process on the settlement of the Iranian gas debt, according to the report.
In turn, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in its message that the country’s delegation was headed by Turkmen foreign minister, Deputy Prime Minister Rashid Meredov. During the visit, the delegation from Ashgabat was received by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Negotiations were also held with Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh.
“Discussing the prospects for further expansion of Turkmen-Iranian cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, the parties paid attention to strengthening cooperation in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries,” reads the report.
Iran receives Turkmen gas through several pipeline branches, and the main one is the Korpeje-Kordkuy gas pipeline, which was put into operation in December 1995. In 2010, an additional pipeline was launched along the route Dovletabad-Sarahs-Hangeran.
However, Turkmenistan was forced to limit the supply of Turkmen natural gas to Iran because of debts from January 1, 2017.
In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan said that since 2013, the National Gas Company of Iran, has not made the necessary efforts to repay its debt for previously supplied Turkmen natural gas.
According to the Iranian TV channel PressTV, Ashgabat at that time demanded that Tehran pay the debt for supplies in 2007-2008 in the amount of $1.8 billion.