Iran Calls for Brazil’s Partnership in its Oil Sector

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran has called for Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras to become more active in its oil sector.

The Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo on Friday quoted Iran’s deputy foreign minister Alireza Sheikh Attar as saying, “We are neither pressuring nor imploring its participation in Iran. But we can’t just sit around waiting.”

He added that Iran has the second-biggest oil and gas reserves in the world and “Petrobras knows how much can be done in Iran.”

Petrobras is a recognized world leader in deep-sea drilling, and it has said recent vast petroleum finds could propel Brazil among the ranks of OPEC members.

Sheikh Attar said “the ball is in Petrobras’ court,” while recognizing that Brazil may be subject to “pressures from its northern neighbors”.

He noted that Iran already has agreements with several foreign firms, “and we have already made overtures to Petrobras.” He did not elaborate.

The Iranian official was in Brazil to explore bilateral investment opportunities. He also expressed the hope that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would visit Brazil this year.