Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said announced in Jakarta on Monday that he will visit Iran to review ways to develop economic cooperation.
The Indonesian government, he added, is looking for ways to develop cooperation with Iran, noting however that while the lifting the sanctions is not completed yet, Indonesia is keen on cooperation with Iran, reported IRNA.
Said declared that he is leaving Jakarta on Tuesday evening for Tehran and then for Oman.
Indonesia was a major OPEC oil producer, but, it has now turned to an energy importer and is looking for investments in this sector, the minister said.
He said that Indonesian government supports investment by Middle Eastern countries in his country's energy sector.
The minister said that he had already met Iranian investors and energy officials three times and that he would take up the negotiations in Tehran.
He said that in addition to energy sector, Iran interested in exporting bitumen to Indonesia and cooperate with his country in electricity generation in Indonesia.
Based on agreements between Iran and Indonesia signed in Tehran last June, Iran will construct small oil refineries with capacities ranging between 20,000 and 300,000 bpd in Indonesia.
The joint venture is worth about $3 billion and Iran has a 30-percent share.