Iran to send oil products to Afghanistan

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TEHRAN, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Iranian oil officials said they signed agreements with Afghan authorities for the export of some 1 million tons of oil products starting as early as next year.

Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi signed an agreement with delegates from the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industry for deliveries of oil products including gasoil, jet fuel and gasoline.

"We already exported gasoil to Afghanistan but export of gasoline and jet fuel will start next year," National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Co. Director Alireza Zeyghami was quoted by state-funded broadcaster Press TV as saying.

The countries in June signed a memorandum of understanding for the export from Iran of oil products for the remainder of the year. Gasoline and jet fuel would account for 30 percent of the total new exports expected from Iran, the report adds.

Trade between Iran and Afghanistan for the year stood at round $2 billion.

Iran has some of the richest oil and natural gas deposits in the world. Sanctions and diplomatic pressure from Western adversaries could make it difficult for Iran to find reliable trading partners, however.