"The Armenian side has asked for a meeting in late March to discuss the gas export project as well as Armenia's power exports to Iran," he said. He said the Iranian side has fulfilled its commitments on the construction of the pipeline and export of gas to Armenia, adding that Iran is ready to begin gas supply to the former Soviet nation at any time. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in Yerevan last December that the inauguration of the pipeline for importing gas from Iran has been postponed due to technical reasons. The minister said that the project was due to be launched in late December, adding that the pipeline is ready and will have to undergo certain technical tests before being made operational. Mr Oskanian said that while Iran has announced that it is planning to launch the project by March, but that it would be most logical to transfer the management of the project to Russia's Gazprom. The minister added, however, that a final decision has yet to be made in this respect. Armenian energy officials have blamed bad weather for the postponement of the project. Armenian sources have announced that the country will be importing 2.5bn cum of gas annually from Iran as of 2008.