IRNA � Negotiations are underway between Tehran and Ashgabat on a deal to swap Turkmen natural gas to the Persian Gulf region, Iran's deputy oil minister and managing director of National Iranian Gas Company said.


Hamid Reza Araqi, in a recent interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), said that Iran and Turkmenistan so far have discussed on swapping natural gas from Iran's northeastern neighbor to Iraq, Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Tehran finally disagreed on a deal to swap Turkmen gas to Iraq and Turkey, Araqi said.

'But there is no problem with swapping the country's natural gas to Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and it is currently happening.'

Iraq and Turkey remain to be main importers of Iranian natural gas and Tehran is eying to increase its gas exports to its western neighbors.