MNA� Deputy oil minister, while pointing to the signing of a gas cooperation agreement with Turkmenistan, said gas imports from the Central Asian state will run on for five years.


Hamid Reza Araghi, Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), expounded on the three-day visit of an Iranian gas delegation to Ashgabat saying �during the stay, meetings and talks were conducted with Turkmenistan�s vice-president, energy minister, foreign minister as well as CEO of T�rkmengaz as the national gas company of the Central Asian country.�

�The main axes of talks in the Turkmen capital were finalizing the draft for elevation of bilateral ties in gas imports and swap as well as defining methods of collaboration between NIGC and T�rkmengaz,� highlighted the official asserting �it was agreed that areas of gas dispute be discussed by joint committees of the two companies over the next two months and the final decision be promulgated.�

NIGC managing director emphasized that the agreement on gas imports from Turkmenistan will remain effective for the coming five years reiterating that both sides are fully committed to the deal.

Araghi also referred to Iran�s proper conditions for swap of Turkmen gas with other countries; �while in, Ashgabat, we voiced the country�s readiness for gas swap.�

He noted that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked on the basis of bilateral cooperation between the two countries recalling that �the deal has been sealed by CEOs of NIGC and T�rkmengaz at presence of Iranian and Turkmen ambassadors though it will become effective once it received approval from official authorities of Turkmenistan.�