OREANDA-NEWS  Russian gas supplies to Iran will begin in a few months, but this will only be the first stage, and the parties have not yet agreed on a price. This was stated by the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Moscow, Kazem Jalali, Kommersant reports.

According to him, for the second and third stages, which are stipulated by the agreements, it is necessary to build additional infrastructure. The Russian side will have to pay for the work, the preliminary cost of which the diplomat did not name.

Jalali added that Russian officials will visit Iran next week to discuss the remaining details of the import agreement. Earlier it became known that the volume of Russian gas supplies to Iran via a pipeline through Azerbaijan at the first stage will amount to 1.8 billion cubic meters per year.

The Islamic Republic has some of the most significant natural gas reserves in the world, so purchases for it make sense only if gas exports from the fields will cover imports and make a profit. We can also talk about swap supplies, that is, in exchange for supplying the north of the country, Russia will receive the right to a similar amount of gas at the other end. This operation makes the issue of price particularly sensitive.

At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not rule out that in the future, if the first stage of cooperation is successful, supplies will be able to reach 55 billion cubic meters annually. No plans have been announced for the construction of appropriate infrastructure, as well as ideas for further gas exports from Iran.