The Islamic Republic says it will build a pipeline to speed the export of oil products to Afghanistan, its captive market.
Deputy Oil Minister Ali-Reza Zeighami told PressTV last week that an Iranian delegation would soon travel to Kabul to work out the details of the agreement. He did not say who would pay for the pipeline or how much it would cost.
He said, “With construction of this pipeline, part of the energy needed by Afghanistan will be met with a full guarantee and security.”
Last year, Iran blocked trucked supplies of oil from Iraq and Turkmenistan going across Iran to Afghanistan. The Islamic Republic then forced Afghanistan to sign an agreement to buy 1 million tons of oil products annually from Iran.
Afghanistan produces no oil and has no refinery. However, oil has been discovered and a field is now being developed. A contract to build a small refinery has also been signed, as the country clearly wishes to end its dependency on Iran.
