Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made the remarks on Tuesday morning at the 23rd Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining & Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show 2018) currently underway at Tehran International Permanent Fairground.
“We may have other industries that are very valuable, but the oil is special. The impact of oil and energy on people's lives is also important because power plants that produce electricity also rely on oil.”
“Today, our bread is also dependent on energy, because if there was no natural gas, the bakeries would shut down,” the Iranian president added.
“Oil has never been an economic issue in Iran, but a political one, and has resulted in social and economic problems with its own characteristics,” he underlined.
The Iranian president said “oil and energy are a special industry for internal, foreign, diplomacy and national power,” emphasizing “a country that can export oil and oil products has power.”
Rouhani later urged the Iranian companies to improve the quality of their products and cooperate with their foreign counterparts with the aim of producing better products, stressing that his government would stop importing any products that are produced domestically.
He urged the Oil Ministry to rely on internal technology, adding that more efforts are required to attract foreign investment in oil industry of the country.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president reiterated that Iran seeks engagement with the world based on a win-win solution.
In an apparent reference to the US president Donald Trump’s actions, Rouhani stressed that the situation for Iran’s engagement with other countries may change when someone in another country comes to power, meanwhile he expressed hope that Iran will leave behind its problems soon.
The Iranian president touched upon the agreement between Iran and Armenia in the field of oil and said "We have started cooperation with that country (Armenia) on the construction of oil reservoirs in the sea,” adding that "maybe we will reach other agreements of that kind with Tajikistan and other countries in the future.”
He said that joint oil and gas fields are of more importance to his government, stressing that Iran wants to accelerate production in South Pars field.
The Iranian president referred to Jask in Hormozgan Province saying that export of oil through the pipeline is on the agenda of the Ministry of Oil, calling it a strategic project.
Rouhani said that more work needs to be done in petrochemical industry in order to create jobs.
AT the end of his remarks, the Iranian president underlined that after 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, people still would like to vote for the Islamic Republic as they still look for independence, freedom and non-reliance on foreign powers.
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