Pipeline from Iran to Armenia politically and economically unprofitable: Azerbaijani oil and gas expert

According to oil and gas expert Ilham Shaban, this is the same as to propose laying an express railroad from Iran to Russia via Armenia.

Notably, in early March Armenian energy minister Armen Movsesyan announced that in 2009 Armenia and Iran will start construction of the Tebriz-Yeraskh pipeline. He said ready oil products, in particular, gasoline and diesel fuel, will be supplied from the oil refinery of Tebriz to Armenia.

"I do not understand whether they, Armenians, do not look at the map or they are just poorly informed about political realities? Where will this pipeline go", says Shaban.

According to him, 4-5 years ago there was proposed an idea to build an oil refinery of a capacity of 1 mln tons of production in Megri. "They said it will refine Iranian crude, while Iran will invest into the construction of an oil refinery, while Armenia will further compensate for these costs by ready oil products. But then it turned out that a simple transportation of oil products by cars makes the idea of building a plant unnecessary".

Thus, considers the expert, such projects are purely declarative, as there is minimum economic profit there. "All these projects, related to Iran, should be considered in separate. They are often declared from political point of view, without taking into account the economic substantiations, as there are sanctions and embargo against this country", says the expert.

/Day.Az/