Syria and Iran to increase oil cooperation despite US-led blockade

Syria’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Soleiman Ghanem visited Iran’s chamber of commerce on Wednesday, voicing the interest of his country’s private sector in joint economic activities with their Iranian partners.

Head of the Iran-Syria Joint Committee Keivan Kashefi and a number of Iranian economic activists hosted the meeting with Ghanem in Tehran.

Kashefi, for his part, said that the level of the economic ties between the two countries had not grown tantamount to their political ties.

“The private sector can play a key role in this regard by tapping the potentialities of the two countries,” he said.

Kashefi said the presence of the Syrian official in Tehran could be considered as a starting point for oil and energy cooperation between Tehran and Damascus, saying Iran and Syria had not had so much to do in this field together.

During the meeting, Ghanem said that his country had intended to exploit the Iranian experiences and capabilities in order to reconstruct their country.

In relevant remarks on Monday, Ghanem said his country was determined to enhance mutual cooperation with Iran in diverse areas of oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

To boost cooperation with Iranian partners, Ghanem paid a visit to South Pars gas field facilities in Asaluyeh, Southern Iranian province of Bushehr, on Monday.

Leading a delegation comprised of Syrian oil and gas officials, Ghanem was briefed by Managing Director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) Mohammad Meshkinfam about the gas field and the investments made on it.