Tehran Russia said Thursday it wants to participate in building a pipeline which will carry Iranian gas to Armenia, ITAR-TASS news agency said.

Russian Vice-Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, upon arrival in Armenian capital Yerevan, said that he will discuss the issue with the Armenian President Robert Kocharian and other senior officials.

Kocharian on Tuesday urged Iran to expedite the laying of the pipeline.

"The gas pipeline should come on stream as soon as possible and Tehran should take more serious steps in this regard," Kocharian told the Iranian Head of Supreme National Security Council Hassan Rouhani in Yerevan.

The 140-kilometer (48-mile) pipeline should cost some $138 million and should be completed within months. Armenia will begin the construction by building a section of the pipeline between its southern towns of Megri and Kadzharan, a project worth some $26 million.

Iran has the world's second largest reserves of natural gas after Russia.

Kocharian said Tehran and Yeravan should make more joint ventures in a bid to broaden their economic relations.

"Iran plays an important role in the world energy market and it had better be present in the regional energy market," he said.