TEHRAN - The Iranian parliament (Majlis) has given the green light to the country’s Power Generation Transmission and Distribution Company, known as Tavanir, to pursue its claims of $263 million in a dispute with Turkish firm Ghent.

At an open session on Sunday, lawmakers approved a bill that allows Tavanir, an affiliate of the Energy Ministry, to launch arbitration and pursue its claims in cooperation with the presidential deputy office for legal affairs.

Before the vote on the bill, which was approved by 167 MPs, lawmaker Mostafa Nakhaie explained the details of the dispute between Tavanir and the Turkish company. 

Nakhaie, who is the head of the Iranian parliament’s energy committee, said that Tavanir and Ghent signed a five-year contract in 2009 under which the Iranian company exported electricity to the Turkish firm.

He said that the Turkish company paid money during the first three years of the contract, but refused to pay its debt for the last remaining years, citing sanctions against Iran.

The company has continued to refuse to pay its debt despite its commitments, the MP noted, adding that based on the newly approved bill and Article 139 of the Iranian Constitution, Tavanir is now allowed to pursue its claims.

EF/