The Iranian news agency MEHR reports that on 30 January the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Iran Akhmed Gubanov met with Chairman of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi.
The Irania official said that implementation of a gas pipeline project between the two countries can also enhance their economic and trade ties.
The Turkmen ambassador, for his part, said that talks between the two neighbors were needed in order to finalize a gas deal between them.
Let us recall that the day before the negotiations Iran’s Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh said that Iran was filing another claim against Turkmenistan to the International Court of Arbitration.
“Turkmenistan claims Iran owes them $1.5 billion, but we believe the number is not right. We believe their price is very high and should decrease. Our other complaint is about the quality of the gas imported from Turkmenistan”, Minister Zangeneh said.
Iran’s complaint has three parts: Turkmenistan’s cutting off the gas without prior notice on January 2017, low quality of the gas, and the high price.