YEREVAN. – According to the agreement between Armenia and Iran, Armenia will import an annual amount of 1.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Iran, but, in actual fact, it imports three times less than this amount. 

Opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party National Assembly (NA) Faction member Artsvik Minasyan noted the abovementioned at NA on Wednesday, posing a question to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan.

The minister responded that, in return for the gas, Armenia is obligated to provide electricity to Iran. But Armenia’s present-day capacity makes it impossible to supply electricity with that amount and without damaging the system.    

Specifically, the new Armenia-Iran high-voltage electricity transmission line is not ready. In addition, as per Movsisyan, it is not ready because of Iran. The minister said this transmission line will be ready toward the middle of next year. As a result, it will be possible to import an annual amount of around one-billion cubic meters of gas from Iran, and to export 3-3.5 billion kilowatts of electricity to Iran.