Managing Director of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development
and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) Mehdi Karbasian made the offer
while addressing a meeting with the visiting Australian delegation
headed by Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport
and Resources Secretary Richard Bolt.
Karbasian enumerated commonalities of the two sides in mining and
economy sectors saying “proper grounds have been provided for elevation
of collaborations in various sectors like exploration, research and
development, training, consulting, reducing water and energy consumption
as well as production of minerals like aluminum and steel chain.
He pointed to cooperation of Iran with companies from Italy, Germany,
India, Korea and Japan in the post-JCPOA era stressing that reduction
of water consumption remained a key priority for Iran in production of
mineral products.
IMIDRO director pointed to the distinguished position enjoyed by
Iranian Mineral Processing Research Center (IMPRC) in the Middle East
adding “as of three years ago, Iran has begun exploratory projects as
evidenced by discovery of considerable amounts of new reserves.”
He went on to point to presence of natural gas and a variety of
mineral reserves in Iran maintaining “in view of our growth potential as
well as the need for Iran and neighboring states’ for construction and
development, joint working groups or firms can be formed to meet
interests of all parties.”
Also at the meeting, Australia’s Richard Bolt, recalled that his
country’s companies enjoyed age-old history of ties with Iran adding
“outcomes of the present session will be conveyed to Australian firms in
a bid to bolster existing relations.”
The visiting official welcomed the Iranian side’s proposal for
reinvigoration of ties maintaining that his visit to Iran aimed to
investigate venues for cooperation and ink Memoranda of Understanding
(MoUs) in various sectors.
Australia’s secretary for department of economic development also
emphasized that expansion of Tehran-Canberra relations had been underway
for the past two years.
Ian Biggs, Australia's Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran,
for his part, expressed amazement towards great potentials of Iran in
mining sector and said “we are probing into development of relations
between the two parties, an initiative which requires exchange of expert
groups.”
He deemed research and development, discovery and geology as possible
venues for bilateral collaboration between Iran and Australia.