Armenia supports Tehran's proposal to increase natural gas exports from Iran. After a three-day visit to Iran, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan told RFE/RL Tuesday that it is possible to at least double the amount of Iranian natural gas within the framework of the natural gas-for-electricity program.

According to the minister, the Armenian and Iranian sides have reached a verbal agreement to expand this mutually beneficial deal, and the resolution of the remaining issues is already within the domain of working groups to be established in the near future.

“We have both noted that the Republic of Armenia actually needs to receive a larger amount of [natural] gas, the Islamic Republic of Iran needs to receive a larger amount of electricity, the existing capacity of our pipeline is greater than the [natural] gas currently flowing through it,” Davit Khudatyan said.

“Both the capacity of our existing pipeline and the possibility of building a 400-kilowatt line enable us to at least double the transaction amount, even more than doubling, but at least doubling is possible. That is, we [i.e. Armenia] can export at least twice as much electricity to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and in return receive twice as much [natural] gas, although the capacity of the [natural] gas pipeline is currently more than double,” the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia added.