The director general of public relations of the
Ministry of Petroleum, Ali Forouzandeh, hailed the event as a unique ecosystem
among developing countries. He said it demonstrated Iran's oil and gas sector,
which he called the largest national asset and source of income for the
country. He also praised Iran's achievements in producing industrial equipment
and providing technical and engineering services for the oil industry, which he
claimed were unmatched by other developing countries involved in oil and gas.
The exhibition is expected to attract senior
domestic and foreign guests, including Alexander Novak, Russia's Deputy Prime
Minister, who Mr Forouzandeh said would probably come to Iran. Iran and Russia
will hold several joint panels and a business forum during the exhibition, as
well as a large B2B meeting between Iranian and Russian companies before the
opening of the event.
The exhibition will also feature 100 events,
memoranda of understanding and contracts between various parts of the Ministry
of Oil and private companies, as well as 10 specialised sessions on
knowledge-based companies.
The exhibition will run until May 20th at Tehran
International Exhibitions Center. It is a rare opportunity for Iran to showcase
its energy prowess to potential partners and customers. But whether it will
translate into more business deals and investment will depend on the outcome of
the nuclear talks in Vienna.