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Zimbabwe, Iran examine energy ties

TEHRAN, March 10 (UPI) -- Zimbabwean officials expressed interest in cooperating with Iran for oil supplies and upgrades to its national refineries, Iranian ministers said.

Zimbabwean Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa met with Iranian Oil Minister Masoud Mir Kazemi in Tehran.

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he would consider cooperating with Zimbabwe following a Washington decision to extend sanctions on the regime of Robert Mugabe.

Washington said March 1 it was extending sanctions on Mugabe citing a deep political crisis, including alleged human rights abuses.

Tehran, said the oil minister, protests the "illegal pressures" imposed on the Mugabe regime. Kazemi added Zimbabwe was seeking an energy partner in Iran, state-funded broadcaster Press TV reports.

"Zimbabwe is eager to utilize Iran's expertise for refurbishing of one of its refineries and to buy crude oil (from Iran)," he said.

Mutasa, for his part, said it was hopeful Iran could supply oil to his nation.

Washington is considering sanctions on companies that do business in the Iranian sector as punishment for a controversial nuclear program.

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