YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. It is envisaged to complete the construction of the 40-km Meghri-Kajaran section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline by December 20, which will allow to start the new gas pipeline's operation ahead of the planned date - January 1, 2007. Sahak Abrahamian, Director of High-Voltage Electric Networks company - the customer of the gas pipeline's Armenian secton construction, told NT correspondent that as a result about 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas will be imported from Iran into Armenia annually. To recap, ArmRusgazprom company is implementing the construction work of the Armenian side. According to S. Abrahamian, the Armenian side received 80% of 35 mln USD envisaged for the construction work as a loan from Iran's Development Bank, while the remaining sum will be allocated from own resources. To recap, the agreement on import of natural gas from Iran into Armenia was signed in Yerevan in May 2004. Under this agreement, Armenia shall receive no less than 1.1 bln cubic meters of gas from Iran annually. The term of the agreement is 20 years. Armenia will pay with electricity for the imported gas.

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