Oji made the remarks following a meeting with a Turkmen delegation headed by the country’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov on October 26.
According to Oji, Iran has 2 long-term (25 years) deals with Turkmenistan based on which the country imported 40 million m3 of gas on a daily basis.
The Minister said:
- Unfortunately, in the previous government, Turkmenistan's gas exports to Iran were cut off due to the delay in payment of Turkmenistan's dues
- The issue was referred to the International Court of Arbitration, and this court determined the exact amount of Iran's debt to Turkmenistan
- The negotiations with the Turkmen delegation which consisted of representatives of the country’s energy and banking sectors were positive
- Fortunately, with appropriate planning that we had already done, positive negotiations were done to settle the mentioned debt
Oji stated:
- Considering the solutions and proposals that we have presented, the debt to the Turkmen side will undoubtedly be settled, and we are determined in this regard
He stressed that the main purpose of the meeting between the 2 sides was to promote comprehensive relations with Turkmenistan, adding:
- With the good planning done by the Oil Ministry, more such events will undoubtedly take place during this government considering the positive and good attitude that we saw from the Turkmen side
