No country is a priority for investment in Iran now that prospects are the brightest for lifting of sanctions and opening up of new investment opportunities in the country, a deputy minister of petroleum said.
Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia, Iran's deputy oil minister for commerce and international affairs, said "Iran welcomes the best proposals for long-term cooperation."
He said Iran is in need of investment, technology and project management for development of its oil industry, stressing that "no country or company is a priority for presence in Iran's oil industry and it is Iran that sets the priorities."
Zamani-Nia was quotes by shana as saying under the new political circumstances, "Iran is the final chooser."
Zamani-Nia also underlined the Tehran visit by a high-profile Japanese delegation, saying the Japanese were "very serious" in their meeting with Iranian Petroluem Minsiter Bijan Zangeneh.
A Japanese delegation led by State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Daishiro Yamagiwa arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day visit to hold talks with Iran's senior officials. The delegation comprises trade officials and executives of major Japanese industries such as Mitsui & Co., Kansai Paint Co., Sanden Holdings, Nippon Steel, Sojitz, ITOCHU and Kamematu.
Their visit to Iran is the first by a Japanese trade delegation in 14 years.
The delegation is the latest of a series of foreign delegations to flock to Iran in pursuit of normalizing ties by enhancing industrial and business cooperation with the country ever since it reached a historic nuclear deal with world powers in Vienna.