Prospective benefits for Iran's full membership in the Energy Charter Process

"It is evident that energy-supplying countries do need advanced technologies and foreign investments to develop their oil and gas reserves, and find a foothold in international and European natural gas markets". This was the opinion expressed by Dr Nejad Hosseinian, Deputy Petroleum Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at a joint seminar organised in Tehran on 23 February 2004 by the Institute for International Energy Studies and the Energy Charter Secretariat.

The seminar was part of the Secretariat's efforts to further develop a dialogue with the Iranian government on the Energy Charter Process, to which Iran became an observer in 2002. Around 100 officials from government ministries, the parliament, from energy companies and from academia attended the seminar, which was addressed by Deputy Secretary General Andrei Konoplyanik, together with experts from the Secretariat on investment, trade and transit, and energy efficiency. The seminar provided important input to a study, being prepared by the Institute for International Energy Studies in Tehran with the assistance of the Secretariat, on the consequences of a decision by Iran to accede to the Energy Charter Treaty.