Iran Begins Construction On $3 Billion Gas Pipeline To Syria
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Iran has begun construction on a 225km pipeline that will take 20-25 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from the Persian Gulf to Syria via Iraq, reported the semi-official Fars News Agency on Monday.
The announcement came just after a pledge from Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who had promised to do everything in his power to help the Syrian people and government restore peace and tranquillity to their country.
Iran has begun construction on a 225km pipeline that will take 20-25 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from the Persian Gulf to Syria via Iraq, reported the semi-official Fars News Agency on Monday.
The announcement came just after a pledge from Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who had promised to do everything in his power to help the Syrian people and government restore peace and tranquillity to their country.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will utilize its utmost capability and capability to help the Syrian people and government and help return calm and security to that country and the region,” Salehi said in a meeting with Ghanaian President’s special envoy Kodjo Tsikata in Tehran.
[quote]”This is the Syrian nation that should decide its fate and national sovereignty, and the Iranian government and nation only provide the grounds for meeting and dialogue between (Syrian) government and different groups,” he said, as cited by a separate Far News article.[/quote]But economist Saeed Leilaz, believed that the latest announcement was typical bluster from the Iranian government rather than an actual serious plan.
“Given the ongoing civil war in Syria, such a project can’t be implemented now,” told Leilaz to the Associated Press. “Lack of security and political instability in Iraq and Syria doesn’t allow this project to be enforced at least at this point.”
[quote]“This is a symbolic gesture by Iran to show that it can bypass Western sanctions,” Leilaz said.[/quote]Related: Iran Hiding Oil Off Malaysian Coast: Report
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Other analysts also saw the announcement as a deliberate show of support for Syrian President Bashar Assad. According to AP, the project was first announced in July 2011 just as Syrian rebels began stepping up the fight to topple Assad. By starting work now, AP claims that Iran is trying to demonstrate its confidence in Assad’s ability to ride out the uprising.
The gas from the pipeline is expected to be produced from Iran’s South Pars gas field that holds an estimated reserve of 16 trillion cubic meters. The recently announced pipeline, which reportedly will be completed by late-2013, is said to be only be the first phase of a larger project that eventually aims to transfer natural gas directly to Syria’s capital of Damascus. If the full project is implemented, the cost will rise to $10 billion and reach nearly 1,500km in length.
Iran has the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves after Russia; and believes that it can eventually transfer over 110 million cubic meters of natural gas a day to Syria.
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