Iran’s Oil Ministry opens first office in Iraq

The Iranian Oil Ministry has opened a first independent office in Iraq amid plans between the two neighboring countries to boost their bilateral energy cooperation.

Oil Ministry’s special envoy to Iraq Seyyed Abbas Beheshti said on Tuesday that the mission will help facilitate the implementation of joint energy projects between Iran and Iraq.

“This office was opened in the city of Baghdad for the purpose of promoting cooperation and synergy, especially in the implementation of joint oil, gas and energy projects between the two brotherly countries,” said Beheshti.

He said that two other Iranian Oil Ministry missions will open in oil-rich regions of Basra in the south and in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq.

The announcement came on the day Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani paid a first official visit to Tehran to hold high-level talks with senior Iranian government officials.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said after a meeting with Sudani on Tuesday that the two countries will expand their energy cooperation in the near future.

Iran is a major supplier of natural gas to Iraqi power plants while it also provides electricity to the Arab country to help it meet its growing demand for power.

Iraq has secured waivers from US sanctions on Iran to be able to import energy from its eastern neighbor.

Iranian Oil Ministry authorities had indicated in recent months that domestic oil and gas companies would expand their presence in the Iraqi market based on agreements reached between the two countries.

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