Iran Petroleum Sector Remains Attractive
Italy to Continue Iran Business
Italian trade commissioner in Iran Augusto Di Giacinto said the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) would
stay active in Iran. He said ITA was a state-run agency for supporting Italian companies making
investment everywhere in the world. He added that ITA was already present in 80 nations. Di
Giacinto said ITA was facilitating trade and investment between Iranian and Italian sides. He
said every month a group of Iranian businesspeople were sent to Italy to make arrangements
for presence in exhibitions. He expressed happiness that despite existing challenges Italian
companies were still willing to remain in Iran. Di Giacinto said Italian companies were familiar
enough with the potentialities of Iran, adding that Italian firms were seeking involvement in Iran’s
market. Twelve Italian companies were present at the annual oil show. Di Giacinto said the Italian
firms present at the Tehran oil show were mainly involved in the downstream sector, adding that
they knew the Iran market pretty well due to their long presence in the country
German Firms Send Message
The representative of a German manufacturer of equipment for upstream and
downstream industries said the company’s relations with Iran had been very good,
saying their continuation was important.
He said that Iran’s market offered great potential to German companies
particularly suppliers of equipment and pipes for the oil and gas industry. He
added that his company would not like to halt cooperation under the influence of
other government.
He said the presence of German companies at the Oil Show sent a clear message that
German firms were determined to expand ties more than ever
Despite the US’s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA) and the concomitant re-imposition of sanctions on Iran’s
petroleum sector to dissuade foreign companies from working in Iran,
Tehran hosted the 24th International Oil, Gas, Refining &Petrochemical
Exhibition where companies from 21 nations were present. Big companies preferred to
stay out, fearing US penalties; however, some small-sized companies with no business
with the United States would continue to work in Iran
Iran-Azerbaijan Energy Ties
Rasim Valiev of Azerbaijan’s national oil company SOCAR said the Azeri state-run oil
firm was taking part at the Tehran oil show in order to introduce opportunities for
cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector. He said the participation
was also aimed at showcasing Azerbaijan’s capabilities to host the 24th World Petroleum
Congress (WPC). “Presence in such important events as the ongoing show is of high
significance for Azerbaijan, as a World Petroleum Council member, which is vying with
Canada, Argentina, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates to host the Congress,” he
said.Valiev said Iran and Azerbaijan could cooperate in the energy and transportation
sectors. He added that Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO) was involved in the
development of Shah Deniz gas field alongside Russia’s Lukoil, Turkey’s national oil
company and Malaysia’s Petronas
Maintenance of Ties, a Priority
Klaus Friedrich, economic advisor at Germany’s Mechanical Engineering Industry
Association (VDMA), said the association was mainly involved in providing information
to German investors and industrialists to work everywhere across the globe.
He said the priority was to maintain the current level of ties, adding that German
companies could independently adopt special policies and approaches to broaden
cooperation with Iran’s energy sector. He expressed hope that INSTEX would become
operational soon to allow for the development of relations. VDMA represents more than
3,200 member companies in the SME-dominated mechanical and systems engineering
industry in Germany and Europe. VDMA was founded in November 1892 and is the
most important voice for the mechanical engineering industry today.....