Tehran, Ashkhabad can promote co-op in gas field: MP

Bojnourd, North Khorasan Prov, Dec 31, IRNA – An Iranian lawmaker has said that Tehran and Ashkhabad have great capacities to expand cooperation in the strategic area of gas. Hadi Qavami made the remarks here Saturday while referring to the new gas deal signed between Iran and Turkmenistan under which the latter should provide gas for the northern Iranian provinces. Expansion of interaction between the two neighboring and friendly countries will lead to further cooperation in all areas, Qavami told IRNA. Having 900 km of joint land border, Iran and Turkmenistan enjoy good ties that make them stand by each other in the critical conditions, the member of Majlis noted. In December 30, Iranian representatives who were in Turkmenistan for talks over the dispute were told by Tehran to leave the negotiating table warning their Turkmen counterparts that Tehran will not accept any issue beyond the previously made bilateral agreements. Everything was ready for declaring Iran's decision about cutting gas imports from Turkmenistan, when Ashkhabad gave in to Tehran's demands and called on the Iranian envoys to come back to the negotiating table while they were at the airport ready to leave for Tehran. According to Iran's Petroleum Ministry, Turkmenistan has finally agreed to continue its gas exports to the northern Iranian provinces. Turkmenistan had already asked to receive what it said to be a 1.8-billion-dollar debt from Iran, a claim that Iran dismisses. 1378/IRNA