Iran, Russia agree to transfer gas via Azerbaijan: Minister

Iran’s oil minister says that the country has reached an understanding with Russia for the transfer of Russian gas to Iran via the Azerbaijani territory.

Mohsen Paknejad said late on Friday that Iran and Russia had explored various routes for the transfer of Russian gas to Iran, adding that they had agreed to use the land pipelines that pass through Azerbaijan.

Paknejad made the announcement after co-chairing a key intergovernmental economic committee in Moscow.

Iran and Russia signed an agreement in June last year for the transfer of up to 55 billion cubic meters per year (an average of 150 million cubic meters per day) of Russian gas to Iran.

Iran is a global gas powerhouse by producing nearly 1 billion cubic meters per day of natural gas and exporting nearly 80 million cubic meters, mostly via pipelines to Iraq and Turkey.

The country hopes to use imports from Russia to boost supplies to its domestic industries and increase exports.

Paknejad said that Russia and Azerbaijan are concluding coordinations for the supply of Russian gas to Iran through the existing infrastructure.

He said that under the understanding reached with Russia, Iran will take delivery of the Russian gas in Astara, a region on the border between Iran and Azerbaijan.

Russian authorities said that gas exports to Iran could begin in the coming months and as soon as Russia’s Gazprom and the National Iranian Gas Company agree on prices.

Russia has been facing an oversupply of natural gas since early 2022, when its exports to Europe came under sanctions because of the war in Ukraine.

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