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PanArmanian (03 April 2018)

Armenia might come to receive Turkmen gas in a swap deal that Iran and Turkmenistan are currently negotiating, the Financial Tribune reports.

Turkmenistan is exploring options on gas swap deals with Iran to export its fuel to markets further afield, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reportedly said during a recent visit to Ashgabat.

Speaking to reporters after his encounter with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the Iranian leader expressed satisfaction with their exchange, CNBC reported.

Official Iranian media limited their reports to vague details about agreements on economic cooperation, but Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency noted that discussions had dwelled on energy issues.

Prior talks of such arrangements suggest Armenia and Azerbaijan would be the most likely recipients of Turkmen gas.

Because of economic challenges, Turkmenistan has been seeking to find more buyers for its natural gas riches other than China.

Hamidreza Araqi, managing director of National Iranian Gas Company, has suggested that a gas swap deal could be considered.

"We are averse to swapping Turkmen gas with Turkey and Iraq, but we have no problem with Azerbaijan and Armenia," Araqi told ISNA.

This is not a novel arrangement. Last year, an NIGC official told media that Turkmenistan was still hoping to strike more swap deals to supply Azerbaijan and Armenia with up to 15 million cubic meters of gas daily via Iranian pipelines.

https://panarmenian.net/eng/news/253777/Armenia_may_receive_Turkmen_gas_in_swap_deal_involving_Iran_media