Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Emboldened by its nuclear deal with the West, the Iranian government called on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to help Iranian companies to recover oil sales.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the OPEC members should open doors for Tehran to return to the global markets.

Zanganeh participated in the 164th ordinary ministerial meeting of OPEC summit held in Vienna on December 3.

He said Iran's oil exports were reduced due to the sanctions but now the problems are being solved and Iran wants to completely return to the global markets, the ISNA news agency reported.

Zanganeh went on to say that the countries that have taken Iran's share in OPEC output now should consider giving back the position.

"OPEC has previously experienced such situations so all the member states know which countries should now decrease their output," Zanganeh said.

He further said that as soon as the sanctions on country's oil sector are lifted, Tehran will boost its oil exports.

Zanganeh said Iran has no technical difficulty in increasing exports and returning to the production capacity of 4 million barrels per day.

Iran's oil exports have dropped to 1.2 million barrels per day from the previous figure of 2.5 million barrels in 2011.

Zanganeh added that increasing oil exports is Iran's certain right.

The 164th Ordinary ministerial meeting of the OPEC kicked off in Vienna on December 4.

The two key topics of discussion for the 164th summit are determining OPEC's production policy and selecting a new secretary-general for the organization.

The second three-year term of the organization's Secretary-General Abdallah Salem el-Badri expired in December 2012, but OPEC members decided in its 162nd summit to extend his term for another year due to complications in selecting a new secretary-general.

Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have nominated candidates for the position. Iran's nominee for the post was former oil minister, Gholamhossein Nozari.