Two major British and Swedish insurance companies have been selected from among an increasing number of foreign applicants to provide coverage to Iranian vessels, said an official of National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC).
"Following the international political opening, numerous qualified international firms have approached NITC to negotiate terms of insurance policies," the company's Director of Commerce Nasrollah Sardashti told Shana.
They are from among companies that once had extensive cooperation with NITC, he added.
Sardashti further said that negotiations are continuing with two major companies to resume ties and to provide fuel to Iranian vessels.
Earlier, the company's CEO said NITC will once again operate in global markets as conditions are better prepared for Iran's new transactions following the nuclear agreement.
"Preparations have been made for the return to international and European markets. Relying on our standards, our fleet can enter new markets and achieve the objectives," Ali Akbar Safaei said.
NITC transports Iranian crude to export markets and is also responsible for the distribution of oil products to Iranian ports and island ports in the Persian Gulf.
The company, which has the largest tanker fleet in the Middle East, also acts as an independent entity in contracts with foreign concerns for crude oil transportation based on prevailing international freight rates.
NITC, in observance of IMO (International Maritime Organization) regulations, has a huge project for replacing tankers, including the construction and purchase of 25 tankers with the total capacity of six million tons.
In recent years, NITC has taken great strides to accomplish enhanced management systems, maritime safety and transport, the results of which have been an array of awards including ISO 9002, ISO 14001 (for management), PMS (for maintenance and repair system), STCW (for maritime supervision systems) and ISMC (for maritime safety management).