Iran start talks with world companies to persuade them to return country
By Sara Rajabova
Iran's deputy oil minister for international and trade affairs Mansour Moazzami said that the country has started talks with world oil companies in a bid to persuade them to run energy projects in the country.
Mehr News Agency quoted Moazzami as saying that negotiations have started with major international oil and gas companies, but these negotiations will not conclude overnight.
He said that the Oil Ministry and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) lack any problem with American oil companies, adding, there are no restrictions for foreign partnership in Iran's petroleum industry.
Moazzami added that "Iran welcomes any oil cooperation even with American companies based on a win-win contract."
He went on to say that numerous foreign companies have recently shown willingness to return to Iran's oil sector due to improvement in Iran's foreign relations.
Moazzami's remarks come after French company Total said the company will return to Iran, if international sanctions are lifted on petroleum exports.
The U.S. and the EU have imposed sanctions on Iran's oil export and banking system, as a result of which Iran started experiencing problems with exports of oil and receiving petrodollars.
Recently, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington could begin removing bans on Tehran within months if a "transparent process is in place" over the nuclear issue.
The U.S. State Department's official said that senators will delay the new round of sanctions against Iran until after upcoming talks over Iran's nuclear energy program later this month.
However, Iran's minister of economic affairs and finance Ali Tayyeb-Nia has dismissed the possibility of a quick removal of the sanctions against the country.
He said that hope on lifting sanctions in the new future would be wishful thinking, because the removal of the sanctions is a long-term process.
The West suspects Tehran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, but Iran insists it is purely for peaceful purposes.
Tehran has rejected the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
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