RFERL: Iran Seeking Role In Selling Gas To Europe

Russia, beware, Iran is trying to get into the European gas market.

In recent months, Iranian officials have been signaling to potential customers in Europe, potential suppliers in the Caspian Basin, and transit country Turkey that Iran is not only ready to get into the game but that without Iranian participation the European Union's Southern Gas Corridor will take many years to realize, or might never be realized.

Of course, the Southern Gas Corridor is all about decreasing Russian gas exports to Europe, an increasingly important issue for European governments as ties with the Kremlin continue to deteriorate over events in Ukraine.

A quick look at a map shows why Iran, with the second-largest gas reserves in the world, is well-placed to sell gas to Europe and also link gas-rich countries in the Caspian Basin region to Europe.

International sanctions imposed on Iran over that country's opaque nuclear program have constricted Iran's ability to sell its gas and oil on world markets or to participate in multinational pipeline projects.

Read the full article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Qishloq Ovozi blog HERE