Ahmadinejad calls for increased energy cooperation with Tatarstan

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with his Tatar counterpart Rustam Minnikhanov in Tehran underlined the further expansion of bilateral ties between Iran and Tatarstan, and urged closer mutual cooperation in energy sector. During the meeting on Sunday, Ahmadinejad said that the expansion of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the autonomous Russian Republic of Tatarstan is beneficial for both sides. He also described the mutual relations as brotherly and noted that there is no limitation for the expansion of the bilateral ties. Minnikhanov, for his part, expressed his country's eagerness to increase the level of interactions with the Islamic Republic. Minnikhanov had also earlier demanded Iran to develop and boost energy cooperation with his country, specially in the oil and gas sectors. Speaking to reporters here in Tehran on Sunday, he said his country enjoys good experience in exploration and extraction of heavy crude, but it needs Tehran's advanced technology and experience in other fields. "Yesterday, I and my accompanying delegation visited Iran's energy capital, the South Pars, and became familiar with that place in person, and now I hope that we can have more cooperation with Iran in the near future," he said. "In case Iran is ready, Tatarstan wants to have increasing cooperation with Iran in the oil and gas sector," Minnikhanov.