Switzerland signs Iran gas deal
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
TEHRAN, March 18 (AFP): Iran and Switzerland yesterday signed a major accord for Iranian gas exports to a Swiss firm, in a rare energy deal between Tehran and the West.
"Today we witnessed the signing of a gas contract between the two countries," Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced at a joint news conference with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Financial details were not disclosed but the contract between Iran's state gas firm and Switzerland's Elektrizitaets- Gesellschaft (EGL) Laufenburg reportedly envisages Iran supplying 5.5 billion cubic metres (194 trillion cubic feet) of gas annually from 2011.
Calmy-Rey said the deal was in full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions imposed against Iran for its failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a potential nuclear weapons-making process.
In the absence of a US mission in Iran after diplomatic ties were cut almost three decades ago, Switzerland's embassy looks after the interests in Tehran of Iran's arch enemy and any consular issues involving US nationals.
The Iranian gas is to be pumped to one of EGL's power stations in Italy.
Switzerland is a country with few energy resources of its own and has also said Europe needs to diversify its energy imports away from Russia towards other exporters like Iran.
"I congratulate this Swiss company for being so far-sighted. We hope this will be a new chapter for long-term economic cooperation between Iran and Switzerland," said Mottaki. However, the execution of the deal depends on the construction of the planned Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) which will connect Greece with Italy and provide better access for Europe to gas fields in the Caspian Sea and the Middle East.
"Today we witnessed the signing of a gas contract between the two countries," Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced at a joint news conference with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Financial details were not disclosed but the contract between Iran's state gas firm and Switzerland's Elektrizitaets- Gesellschaft (EGL) Laufenburg reportedly envisages Iran supplying 5.5 billion cubic metres (194 trillion cubic feet) of gas annually from 2011.
Calmy-Rey said the deal was in full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions imposed against Iran for its failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a potential nuclear weapons-making process.
In the absence of a US mission in Iran after diplomatic ties were cut almost three decades ago, Switzerland's embassy looks after the interests in Tehran of Iran's arch enemy and any consular issues involving US nationals.
The Iranian gas is to be pumped to one of EGL's power stations in Italy.
Switzerland is a country with few energy resources of its own and has also said Europe needs to diversify its energy imports away from Russia towards other exporters like Iran.
"I congratulate this Swiss company for being so far-sighted. We hope this will be a new chapter for long-term economic cooperation between Iran and Switzerland," said Mottaki. However, the execution of the deal depends on the construction of the planned Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) which will connect Greece with Italy and provide better access for Europe to gas fields in the Caspian Sea and the Middle East.