Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hamid-Reza Araghi in his weekly press briefing said, “under the contract inked between Iran and Turkmenistan over gas transfer to Iran, Turkmenistan cannot stop gas flowing to the Islamic Republic of Iran within the framework of rules and regulations.”
Once three terms of gas bill are not reimbursed, Turkmenistan is not even allowed to block gas flow towards the Islamic Republic of Iran, the context of contract stipulated.
Turning to Iran’s debt situation to Turkmenistan and condition of contract inked with neighboring Turkey, he said, “currently, Iran exports gas to Turkey and Iraq and fund is received as a result of gas export to these two countries in return.”
With regard to Turkmenistan, the deputy oil minister said, “presently, no gas is exported by this country to Iran and naturally, gas fund is not paid by Iran to this country but Iran is ready to put the case into judgment at the International Tribunal Court of Justice (Hague), for, we believe that Turkmenistan has incurred severe financial damage to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Turning to the export of gas to Iraq’s Basra, he maintained, “this project has been fully implemented by the Islamic Republic of Iran but Iraqi side has failed to live up to its commitment under the contract especially in the field of construction of gas transfer pipeline.”
To conclude his remarks, the deputy minister of oil revealed the official inauguration of 6th nationwide gas pipeline in the early months of the next Iranian calendar year in 1397 (to start March 21, 2018) and added, “this giant project, as long as 1,000 km, will be constructed, costing about 70,000 billion rials.
