TEHRAN, Jan. 18 (Shana) � Managing director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) said that in addition to existing projects with neighboring Pakistan, Armenia, Turkey, Oman and Iraq, there are negotiations underway with the Persian Gulf countries such as Kuwait and the UAE, and India as Iran�s most important new gas markets after removal of sanctions.

�Export of natural gas to the regional countries and the Persian Gulf basin tops Iran�s gas trade plans in the post-sanctions era,� Ali-Reza Kameli said.
He also said that China may join the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project although the neighboring Pakistan has not started the project in its soil citing sanctions for the delay.

Saying that construction of the Iran-Oman gas pipeline will start in coming months, he added that NIGEC is ready to pump more gas to Armenia while the pipeline with Turkey has the capacity for increasing its flow.

NIGEC is in negotiations with Kuwait and the UAE, he said, and with India a 1,300-kilometer seabed pipeline is planned to be laid.

By SHANA