Iran, Russia sign $1 billion Contract to Build Offshore Drilling Rigs
Iranian and Russian companies signed contract to build five offshore drilling rigs with the aim to explore and extract oil and gas in the Arab Gulf field worth one billion dollars.
The contract was signed here on Saturday afternoon between Managing Director of Tasdid Offshore Development Company Ehsan Mousavi and CEO of Krasnye Barrikady Alexander Ilyichev.
The Russian company is to provide 85 percent worth of the contract.
The drilling rigs are to be built in Khorramshahr port city within next two years.
Iran – Russia ties strategic, says Shamkhani
Meanwhile, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said on Friday that Iran-Russia ties are strategic, introducing Russia under Putin as independent and distinctive of pre-Putin Russia.
Shamkhani made the remarks in an interview with the Russian Rusiya al-Yaum TV.
Shamkhani said that presidents of the two countries have on Several occasions underlined strategic political, economic and military cooperation and that many diplomatic shuttles have been made by Iranian and Russia officials.
‘It is natural that part of the two countries’ ties focused on fighting terrorism.’
Responding to a question why the Russian warplanes used Hamedan base and why they left it rapidly, he said that fighting terrorism requires exchange of capabilities in various fields.
‘Recent operations were carried out in cooperation with Iranian military advisors, Russian aerial support and effective involvement of the Arab Syrianarmy on the ground. The operations required using certain Iranian capabilities in a specific juncture.’
Noting that Iran-Russia strategic ties have not ended and the operations were limited and finished but it was earlier agreed that the campaign against terrorism would take several further days.
Asked whether Russia will utilize Hamedan base once again, Shamkhani said that resumption of cooperation with Russia depends on developments in Syria. Therefore, both countries may resume cooperation.
On the need to respect the Syrian national sovereignty, he said that the governments must fulfill their administrative function in every state without any interference by the aliens.
‘We consider any interference by the outsiders as against regional interests,’ he said, today, Russia has adopted an approach independent of the West and new policies have driven the country out of the detrimental situation in the past.
IRNA
R.S