SCO Meeting Opportunity for Talks on North-South Gas Corridor: Iran Oil Minister

Iran’s oil minister on Tuesday said the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Kyrgyzstan provides a good opportunity for reaching a multilateral agreement on gas transit and constructing a North-South gas corridor in the Central Asian region.

Javad Owji, who made the remarks a day before leaving for the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, added the pipeline along the corridor extending from Russia to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran has been already built.

“Initial consultations with Russia and the Central Asian countries on a multilateral agreement on the swapping of gas of these states via Iran have been held,” said the minister, continuing, “During our stay in Moscow to attend the 6th Russian Energy Week International Forum, the Russian president referred to Iran as one of new gas markets of Russia as there are major differences between his country and Europe, and we expressed our readiness for transmitting and selling Russia’s gas.

“The project demands coordination with the countries, which are located on the swap route, and the SCO meeting is hosting all these countries.” Owji said the meeting is aimed at devising a strategy for promoting cooperation in the energy sector.

Iran and Russia, the world’s largest holders of gas and oil reserves, as well as India and China, the world’s biggest energy consumers, are the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the minister mentioned and said, “Such capacities help increase transactions considerably.”

The 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States will be held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on October 26. Heading a high-ranking delegation, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will attend the meeting. - Shana