A leading news website is claiming that Portugal is “interested in petrochem projects with Iran”.
Azerbaijan’s Trend agency was reporting on what it called the visit to Teheran of “Portugal’s deputy oil minister George Oliveira”.
Better-known as deputy foreign affairs minister Jorge Costa Oliveira, the full content of Trend’s story is locked to non-subscribers, but the same material appears to have been covered by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA.
Writing on Sunday, IRNA said Portuguese companies are “ready and interested to participate in Iran petrochemical and refinery projects” now that sanctions have been lifted.
One of these companies – engineering concern ISQ – is quoted as describing the removal of sanctions is a “big opportunity for participation in Iran’s oil industry”, adding that “now it is the best time to attend this market”.
To this end, Oliveira has called for direct flights between Teheran and Lisbon, says Iran’s Tasnim news agency, quoting the “senior Portuguese official” as saying direct flights “would help facilitate promotion of economic cooperation between the two nations”.
According to Tasnim, plans for collaboration do not stop with the petrochemical industry.
The Iranian government is also keen to promote “cooperation with Portugal in various fields, including banking, business, investment and tourism”.
Quoting Mohammad Khazaei, the head of Iran’s foreign investment organisation and a deputy economy minister, the news agency said “major Iranian banks are ready to cooperate with Portuguese banks”.
Elsewhere, the FARS news agency added that Denmark is also keen to forge petrochemical deals with Iran, while German company ADKL is described as having won a major contract for the south western city of Masjed Soleyman just last week.
