OREANDA-NEWS  Moscow is looking for new gas markets, Iran can become a hub for the transit of Russian gas in the Middle East, this opinion was expressed by Iranian expert in the field of energy and oil industry Mohammad Sadek-Mehrju to RIA Novosti.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum on Thursday that the Iranian side has been asking Russia for gas supplies for a long time. According to the Russian president, this is a fully feasible project, given that the markets and gas needs in neighboring countries are huge.

"Russian gas exports via the pipeline through Ukraine to Europe have largely been stopped, and Russia's request to replace the Turkish route for sending gas to European countries is still being resisted by Europe, so Russia is looking for opportunities to increase gas supplies via new routes," Sadek-Mehrju recalled.

He noted that Iran, due to its unique geographical and geo-economic position, is able to provide its territory for reliable export and transit of Russian gas.

"Iran can become a safe and reliable route for Russian gas exports. There are densely populated countries around Iran, such as Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan, which can be good markets for gas sales. On the other hand, Iran is located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, which allows gas exports to India and East Asia through the creation of LNG infrastructure. Therefore, Iran, as a reliable partner with a privileged regional position, can become a gas hub in the Middle East region," Sadek-Mehrju stressed.

In his opinion, both sides - Moscow and Tehran - "will benefit from this partnership", it can contribute to the conclusion of new gas agreements between the two countries. Moreover, the development of new gas transit projects in the Asian region can reduce the negative impact of Western sanctions on both the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic, the expert concluded.