Iraqi authorities have approved a contract to purchase natural gas from Turkmenistan, aiming to offset the growing shortfall in imports from neighboring Iran. The announcement was made by Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity.
"The ministry has completed all administrative, technical, and logistical requirements for the Turkmen gas supply contract, and the government has approved its implementation," said Ahmed Mousa, a spokesperson for Iraq’s electricity ministry, as quoted by the INA news agency. He explained that gas from Turkmenistan would help "compensate for the reduced supply of Iranian energy resources, which have seen declining imports recently."
Mousa noted that the ministry is now awaiting final procedures at the Trade Bank of Iraq to open a credit line and transfer the necessary funds for Turkmen gas payments. He added that the new supply would "cover part of the current deficit, providing up to 15 million cubic meters per day to support power plants generating over 2,000 megawatts of electricity."
The US has repeatedly denied Baghdad’s requests to extend waivers for electricity imports from Iran, which remains under American sanctions. The Iraqi government has previously stated that the country has "no alternative to Iranian gas imports" due to its heavy reliance on Iranian supplies for power generation.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Dominique A. Pineiro/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS