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ARMENIA-IRAN TIES INTENSIFY DUE TO "TENSE" GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN TIES
168 Zham
May 23 2009
Armenia
Armenian-Iranian ties have recently intensified due to "tense"
relations between Russia and Georgia on the one hand and change of
the US administration on the other, an article in the pro-opposition
Armenian daily 168 Zham, authored by Robert Ghazinyan, has said.
The article said that the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, completed a year
ago, was put into operation in April 2009 due to "current extremely
tense" Georgian-Russian relations, which could lead to a situation
where Russia, Armenia's main gas supplier, would stop gas supplies
via Georgia.
Ghazinyan said that commissioning of the planned Iran-Armenia railway
would help Russia solve two issues: it could now stop its gas supplies
to Georgia "at any moment" without having Armenia suffer great losses
and at the same time it would not lose Armenia as a gas consumption
market as gas supplies from Iran are still "very limited".
The article said that by offering recently to Armenia a preferential
loan for construction of the Iran-Armenia railway, the Iranian side
proved "how important Armenia is against the background of challenges
faced by Iran". Ghazinyan believes that with this railway Iran will
gain access to Europe through Armenia and will "finally acquire a
new strategic route".
Ghazinyan said that according to a few analysts, such intensification
in Iran's policy in the region has to do with the change of the US
administration. The article cited the example of Iran's intensification
in the region, noting that Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has
welcomed the Turkish-proposed Caucasus Stability and Security Platform,
saying that the platform will be incomplete without Iran. Ghazinyan
added that no "abrupt changes" are expected in Iran's foreign policy
before the presidential election in June.
168 Zham
May 23 2009
Armenia
Armenian-Iranian ties have recently intensified due to "tense"
relations between Russia and Georgia on the one hand and change of
the US administration on the other, an article in the pro-opposition
Armenian daily 168 Zham, authored by Robert Ghazinyan, has said.
The article said that the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, completed a year
ago, was put into operation in April 2009 due to "current extremely
tense" Georgian-Russian relations, which could lead to a situation
where Russia, Armenia's main gas supplier, would stop gas supplies
via Georgia.
Ghazinyan said that commissioning of the planned Iran-Armenia railway
would help Russia solve two issues: it could now stop its gas supplies
to Georgia "at any moment" without having Armenia suffer great losses
and at the same time it would not lose Armenia as a gas consumption
market as gas supplies from Iran are still "very limited".
The article said that by offering recently to Armenia a preferential
loan for construction of the Iran-Armenia railway, the Iranian side
proved "how important Armenia is against the background of challenges
faced by Iran". Ghazinyan believes that with this railway Iran will
gain access to Europe through Armenia and will "finally acquire a
new strategic route".
Ghazinyan said that according to a few analysts, such intensification
in Iran's policy in the region has to do with the change of the US
administration. The article cited the example of Iran's intensification
in the region, noting that Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has
welcomed the Turkish-proposed Caucasus Stability and Security Platform,
saying that the platform will be incomplete without Iran. Ghazinyan
added that no "abrupt changes" are expected in Iran's foreign policy
before the presidential election in June.