Iran can meet Europe's growing energy needs: Nozari

Iran can play a key role in meeting Europe's rising energy needs amid falling gas production on the European continent, Iranian Oil Minister Gholam-Hossein Nozari told IRNA in Berlin on Tuesday.

He urged the need for a greater focus by decision-makers and energy experts to cope with growing energy demands in European countries over the next years.

Asked whether the issue of the Nabucco gas pipeline would be addressed during his talks with representatives of German energy companies, Nozari said experts were aware of the fact that this project would only make economically sense, if Iran is involved in it.

The Iranian minister pointed out Nabucco was only one of five available options, among them the route from Iran via Iraq, Syria, Greece to the Mediterranean Sea.

Referring to a likely energy cooperation between Germany and Iran, Nozari said both countries had previously signed memorandum of understandings which needed to be implemented now.

Nozari who arrived Tuesday morning in Berlin for a two-day visit, added bilateral energy cooperation could also boost trade ties between both countries.

Leading an Iranian delegation, Nozari was to meet with leading representatives of German energy firms, keen on making investments in the Iranian energy market.

Germany has stepped up efforts in recent years to diversify its energy sources in a bid to lessen its dependence on Russian oil and gas.

Nozari was also due to update the German side on his country's oil projects.

While German companies are taking part in a series of Iran's petrochemical projects, they have no active presence in the country's oil and gas sector.

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