Tehran, YJC. The Iranian energy minister has said Iran and Armenia signed contracts on the construction of wind and hydroelectric power plants.
Hamid Chitchian said on the sidelines of the ceremony of signing
the agreement of the 12th Iran-Armenia economic committee in Tehran that 4
committees had been formed on different fields of transportation, banking, finance
and investment, urban development, tourism, culture, agriculture, water, oil
and gas, health, and environment.
A special committee will monitor the construction of Magri
Hydroelectric Power Plant on River Araxes, he noted.
Chitchian further said that Tehran and Yerevan will
cooperate in different economic fields which include environmental issues over
River Araxes, electricity transfer lines, railroad to Armenia, as well as mine
exploration and operation.
"The recent round of talks brought about important
agreements, which will result in the expansion of commercial and economic cooperation
in the near future,” Chitchian added.
His Armenian counterpart Yervand Zakharyan expressed
satisfaction with the deals and expressed hope that most articles of the deal, the
Magri hydroelectric power plant in particular, will soon operation phase.
"Armenia and Iran are now on energy exchange of over 1
billion kWh per year, but, we hope that the amount will go up significantly,” he
stated.
Further providing comments on the agreement signed to
construct the Magri Power Plant, Zakharyan maintained that preliminary studies over
the project hve to be over by 2015, and that the operation phase would start in
2015 or 2016 and is to last for five years.