Iran-Russia gas deal signifies ‘excellent’ cooperation: Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described a gas supply deal between Tehran and Moscow as an excellent example of cooperation between the two countries to secure their interests and create sustainable development in the region.
Iranian president made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Tehran on Monday.
If important joint projects between the two countries are implemented, there will be ample opportunities for both countries to confront “cruel sanctions” imposed by the West, Pezeshkian said.
He also praised an agreement to turn Iran into a regional transit and gas hub as a good example of joint cooperation between Iran and Russia.
Pezeshkian also said regional cooperation in the framework of international organizations such as BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has led to the empowerment of independent countries such as Iran, Russia and China to confront the US unilateralism.
Iran has been harboring the idea of becoming a regional “gas hub” in recent years.
The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) and Russia’s energy giant Gazprom signed a 30-year-long deal in June to transfer Russian gas to Iran.
Under this “strategic” agreement, Iran will receive 300 million cubic meters of Russian gas per day through a new pipeline that Moscow plans to build in the Caspian Sea.
Iranian officials have said that the Russian supply will help address domestic gas shortages, sustainably bolster the country’s gas export capacity and turn Iran into a regional gas hub.
Most of Iran’s gas production is consumed domestically as the country faces a daily deficit of 200 mcm that surges to 300 mcm in winters when demand skyrockets.
Last winter, an average of 851 mcm of gas was pumped into the national trunk line per day.
During the Monday meeting, the Russian official emphasized his country’s interest in expanding interactions with the Iran, especially in the fields of energy, industry, transportation, agriculture, healthcare, and cultural affairs.
Despite considerable increase in trade exchanges between the two countries over the past months, there are still great capacities for further cooperation, Mishustin said.
He also emphasized the necessity of expansion of cooperation between Iran and Russia in order to realize the new world order for the benefit of all the countries.
The Russian official said his country is waiting Pezeshkian’s visit to sign the comprehensive strategic agreement between the two countries and participate in a BRICS summit in Russia.
Mishustin also expressed his concern about the escalation of tensions in West Asia region with the support of the US, saying that Washington is seeking to secure its interests by inflaming tensions and conflicts in different parts of the world.