(PanARMENIAN) - Still there is no final decision on the issue what company will be given the right to exploit the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. At the meeting with journalist on March 12 President and Director General of "ArmRosgazprom" Karen Karapetyan noted the company has turned to the government with a request to give the right to exploit the pipeline, but still there is no final decision, which may be connected with the fact that the pipeline has not been put in commission yet.
The exploitation was scheduled for the end of December 2006, but it was postponed till spring of 2007. The Armenian side explained it with delays in construction works because of bad weather conditions. Having the aim to enlarge the volume of Iranian gas import into Armenia "ArmRosgazprom" intends to construct a new pipeline from Kadjaran to Ararat. The pipeline will have 720 millimeters in diameter and will be 197.4 kilometers long. Totally AMD 52 billion will be invested in the project, including 32.9 billion in 2007, 17.3 in 2008 billion and 1.695 billion in 2009. After construction 2.3 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas will be imported into Armenia through the pipeline.