Iran ready for gas export to Switzerland

"Already Iran is ready to start to its gas exports to this European country based on the contract," the managing director of National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC), Seifollah Jashnsaz said.

The National Iranian Gas Export Company and Switzerland's Elektrizitaetsgesellschaft Laufenburg signed a 25-year deal in March 2008 for the delivery of over 5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

The deal was aimed at reducing Bern's dependency on Russian gas.

Jashnsaz added that Switzerland and Turkey are in talks to pave the way for the delivery of Iranian gas.

"There is a possibility for exports of one million cubic meters of natural gas per day to Switzerland," the official said.

In the first phase, Iran will export 1.5 billion cubic meters per year to Switzerland. The amount would be increased to an annual 4 billion cubic meters by 2012, Jashnsaz said.

/Press TV/