Minister: Iran Not to Wait for Turkey to Export Gas to Europe
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the country is not going to wait for Turkey to export its gas to Europe, adding that Tehran is considering another route for that purpose.
“We are considering an option other than Turkey’s route for exporting gas to Europe,” Zanganeh told reporters at a press conference after the 17th extraordinary ministerial meeting of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Tehran o Saturday.
“The issue (Iran’s decision on gas exporting route) hinges on Turkey, and how the country is going to look at the matter,” the minister noted.
Ankara’s current offer is too high, he said, referring to the amount Turkey plans to charge in transit fees.
Known as the world’s top gas reserves holder with an estimated 33.8 trillion cubic meters, Iran is an attractive market for Europeans seeking alternative sources to improve their resilience to gas supply disruptions.
Russia is now the biggest supplier of gas to Europe, with about a third of Europe’s current gas requirements covered by Russian gas.
Back in April, Iran’s ambassador to Turkey said Tehran was working out details of a project to export its natural gas to Europe through Turkey.
In the same month, Miguel Arias Canete, the European Union’s energy commissioner, said they were open to importing Iranian gas, which could break their dependency on Russia.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in September 2014 had ruled out speculations that the country might provide Europe with natural gas should Russia decide to halt energy exports to European states.