Iranian Acting Foreign Minister emphasizes SCO energy cooperation
Ali Bagheri, the Acting Foreign Minister of Iran, highlighted the crucial role of energy cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In an exclusive interview at the Silk Way TV studio on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana, Bagheri underscored the significance of SCO member states, which include major global producers and consumers of oil and gas, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Bagheri emphasized that decisions made within the SCO framework regarding energy, as well as the organization's international stance on these issues, hold immense global importance.
“When you look at the structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization structure, you will see that the member states are composed of the biggest producing and consuming countries in the world, and the biggest oil and gas powers are here. On one hand, we have India and China as the biggest consumers of energy in the world, and on the other hand, we have Iran, Russia, as well as Kazakhstan as the biggest producers of the global oil and gas. We believe that the decisions made in SCO regarding oil and gas and at the same time the approach adopted regarding these issues in the international arena is of very high significance,” he told the Silk Way TV host.
Bagheri also noted a pivotal strategy document signed by the SCO heads of state, setting the stage for future collaboration in the sector. This document, according to him, is poised to ‘define a roadmap for the upcoming cooperation’.
Last week Iran inaugurated 17 major oil, refining, and petrochemical projects with a total investment of over 180 trillion rials across seven provinces.