Iran Weighing Details of Gas Exports to Europe via Turkey: Envoy


TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran’s ambassador to Turkey said Tehran is working out details of a project to export its natural gas to Europe through Turkey.

"A basis for transferring Iranian gas through Turkey has been established and details are still being worked out," the Anadolu Agency quoted Alireza Bigdeli as saying.

He also noted that once Iran gets rid of the nuclear-related sanctions imposed by the West, investment opportunities worth $30 billion will be opened up in the country’s lucrative energy market.

"We can offer an investment chance of $30 billion to companies in the energy sector," said the envoy.

Earlier this month, Miguel Arias Canete, the European Union's energy commissioner, said they were open to import Iranian gas, which could break their dependency on Russia that supplied one third of Europe’s gas.

However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in September 2014 ruled out speculations that the country might provide Europe with natural gas should Russia decides to halt energy exports to the European states.

“Today's conditions are not such that if Russia stops selling gas to Europe, Iran can serve as an alternative for Russia’s gas exports to those countries,” President Rouhani had announced in an interview with Russia-2 television channel.