Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Iran is holding back on gas exports to Iraq because of the instability caused by terrorist groups in the country like the ISIL.
"The turmoil in Iraq is the reason Iran is delaying its gas exports to Baghdada," said Zanganeh on the sidelines of a business council meeting with a high-profile Russian delegation here in Tehran on Tuesday.
"Iran would help Iraq with its oil exports if the latter asked Tehran for assistance," said the minister.
Asked about Russian investments in Iran and a crude oil barter deal with Russia, Zanganeh said no mention of the barter was made during the meeting, but "Russians are strongly inclined to partake in [large-scale] development projects in Iran."
He also said Russians' demand for Iranian products is on the rise and will remain so, and Iranian firms should move up to show their marketing agility to grab the growing market in Russia.
He also stated that in the past Iran was a major exporter of commodities to Russia and this is about time Iranian merchants and industrialists established footholds in the Russian market.
For more information about related Opportunities and Key Players visit
Caspian Region Projects