Pipeliners

24.01.2006 IntelliNews Today - According to the official source close to the president of Armenia Robert Kocharian, the head of state agreed on the Moscow ’s request to give a 45% stake in still being built Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. In exchange, the South Caucasus republic hopes to be offered an old price of USD 54 for 1,000 m 3 of natural gas imported from Russia . As earlier reported, gas major Gazprom called for increase of the price for Armenia to USD 110 per 1,000 m 3 of gas beginning from Jan 1, 2006 . The country currently experiences gas supply break caused by the explosions on Mozdok-Tbilisi gas pipeline. The project of importing natural gas from Iran is supposed to at least partially decrease the dependence on gas supplies from Russia. By giving away part of the control over Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, Armenia may lose its only potential instrument of defense against the gas price increases and opportunity to diversify the supplies.