Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has expressed the country's interest in importing natural gas from Russia to meet domestic demand.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the minister made the statement following a meeting of the intergovernmental commission between the two countries. Paknejad noted that Iran is taking "all necessary steps" to increase its own gas production to stabilize the energy market.
According to the minister, gas production in the country has reached a record level of 750 million cubic meters per day. "However, due to the existing imbalance and growing needs in our country, we are still looking for opportunities to import gas from the Russian Federation," Paknejad stated. He further added that Tehran welcomes Russian companies interested in investing in and developing Iran's oil and gas fields.
The energy cooperation between Tehran and Moscow has intensified recently, particularly following a strategic memorandum signed with Russia's Gazprom. This partnership aims to transform Iran into a regional gas hub by facilitating the transit of Russian gas to southern markets and neighboring countries. As both nations face international sanctions, strengthening bilateral energy ties is seen as a move to ensure regional energy security and diversify export routes through the Caspian region.
