Baghdad / NINA / – The General Director of the National Iranian Gas Company, Majid Gekini, announced that Iraq owes an amount of one billion and 600 million dollars for importing gas from Iran, indicating that this country must pay its debt within a maximum period of one month.
In a statement to Iranian media, Gekini said that according to the agreement signed between Tehran and Baghdad, the latter should pay 1.6 billion dollars to import gas from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On the other hand, the Iranian official noted that Iran must supply gas to Iraq according to the volume specified in the bilateral agreement between the two countries.
Gekini added that, given the circumstances of Iraq and its need to import more Iranian gas, it was agreed to continue and increase the volume of Iranian gas exports to this country. Baghdad will repay the debt owed to Iran within one month.
On Tuesday, Minister of Electricity Adel Karim had complained about the lack of funding for the Ministry, which affected the level of energy production and supply in the country, in addition to impeding the payment of debts and dues for Iranian gas supplied to Iraq.
Iraq has been suffering from a chronic electricity shortage crisis for decades as a result of the siege and successive wars. For many years, residents have protested against frequent power cuts, especially in the summer, when temperatures sometimes reach 50 degrees Celsius.
Iraq is holding talks with Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, to import electricity from them by linking its organization with the Gulf system, after it had depended on Iran alone during the past years by importing 1200 megawatts as well as gas fuel to feed local electric power stations.
Iraq also intends to import electricity from Jordan and Turkey, in an effort to fill the shortage until building power stations that are able to meet local consumption.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency