Iran Readying to Call for Billions of Foreign Energy Investment
TEHRAN (FNA) - Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Alireza Bigdeli said that the country's energy sector may pose an investment window of tens of billions of dollars for companies if the Western sanctions against Tehran are lifted.
"We may currently offer companies $30 billion investment opportunities,” Iran's envoy told Anadolu Agency.
"Turkey has been a long-term customer of Iranian energy exports", the ambassador said, urging a broader and more sustainable ground for cooperation.
Iran and Turkey have been pursuing increasing widening of their ties in various fields in the last two decades. Iran is a main energy supplier to Turkey and Ankara has made huge investments in Iran.
"Our Turkish friends are awaiting the outcome of the arbitration, and after that we will be able to start negotiations on our new cooperation,” Bigdeli unrelined, while commenting on the renewal of the gas deal between the two countries.
Early this month, Chairman of the Turkey–Iran business council executive board Riza Eser said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Iran would accelerate expansion of Tehran-Ankara trade transaction up to an annual amount of $30bln by the end of 2015.
"The two neighbors are determined to reach $30bln in annual bilateral trade by the end of the year," the Turkish official said.
During the Turkish President 's visit to Iran, Tehran and Ankara signed eight cooperation agreements and one joint statement to boost bilateral relations in different areas.
The Iranian and Turkish president underlined the need for the further expansion of diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.
Iranian officials have announced that a large number of foreign companies have voiced their willingness to come back to the country's market.