Iranian Envoy: Turkey to Import More Natural Gas from Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Alireza Bigdeli said Ankara will purchase more natural gas from Tehran, as the Islamic republic has agreed to modify its gas prices.
A new agreement is needed so that Turkey can receive a discount from Iran for natural gas, Bigdeli told reporters on Tuesday during an iftar dinner at the embassy.
"The formula has been accepted by us," said the ambassador, adding that the International Court of Arbitration - where natural gas pricing between Turkey and Iran is addressed - is not a court in the traditional sense of the term but a decision-making forum for the two countries, Daily Sabah reported.
Both countries also have the right to appeal to court to determine a price in line with the articles of the existing natural gas export treaty, the report said.
In reference to the natural gas import treaty that was signed between the two countries, Bigdeli said that a new agreement should be signed to address the price reduction and it should be passed as legislation by both countries' parliaments.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Bigdeli pointed to the difficulty of fostering economic development in the region surrounding Turkey and Iran and underscored that the regional countries' development programs should be set and maintained without pressure by external powers.