Malek Shariati Niasar pointed to the strengthening energy diplomacy as one of the points of strength of the Iranian Oil Ministry in the current administration and said, “While the previous administration had concentrated its economic activities on Western countries, the current administration activated the energy diplomacy and revived its trade cooperation with neighboring countries, especially Turkmenistan.”
The lawmaker emphasized the gas cooperation between Iran and Turkmenistan can turn the country into an energy hub in the region and also help to meet the gas demand in the northern and northeastern parts of the country
All proper capacities of a gas swap deal between Iran and Turkmenistan should be used optimally, he stressed, adding, “Today, Iran’s gas debt to Turkmenistan has been settled with the positive approaches taken in the energy diplomacy and the trade and economic relations between the two countries are on the upward trajectory.”
A deal on Iran’s gas imports from neighboring Turkmenistan will be inked in the very near future, according to which, Iran will start importing gas from Turkmenistan this month.
Turkmenistan is the fourth country in the world in terms of rich gas reserves and Iran has the capacity of importing between 40 and 50 million cubic meters of gas from the Central Asian country, Malek Shariati added.