Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad took a new step to expand energy cooperation with Armenia. Meeting in Tehran with Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, Paknejad announced that the two countries agreed to form a joint energy working group.
Paknejad expressed satisfaction that Armenia stood by Iran in difficult times and stressed that they are ready to strengthen cooperation with their northwestern neighbor within the scope of technical and economic possibilities.
The Iranian minister noted that the topics discussed ranged from increasing bilateral trade and the export of technical and engineering services, to refinery construction and the supply of petroleum products to Armenia. The parties decided to establish a joint specialized working group to implement this broad range of cooperation.
Paknejad proposed that this group become operational as soon as possible and noted that concrete results would be evaluated at the next bilateral meeting.
The Iranian oil minister recalled that the current energy partnership is based on gas-for-electricity swaps and proposed a new commercial framework aimed at expanding Iran's natural gas exports.