Brussels, 23/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - The third meeting of the energy working group of representatives of the European Commission and the Iranian government (set up by the EU Troika in March 1998 as part of the renewed negotiations between the EU and Iran) was held in Tehran on 19 October, chaired by the Director General of Energy at the European Commission, François Lamoureux, and the Iranian deputy minister of petroleum for international affairs, Mohammad Hadi Nejad Hosseinian. The meeting follows in the wake of similar meetings held in Tehran on 18-19 May 1999 and Brussels on 28 March 2001.
The working group identified six topics to be considered in greater depth, namely energy balance sheets and the reform of the Iranian energy sector; the investment climate in Iran; technology transfer and cooperation for non-nuclear energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency; dialogue between producers and consumers; security of energy supply networks, interconnections and regional cooperation; and safety and security in the transport sector (by sea, rail and air).
On 20 October, the Iranian government also organised a conference on development prospects for the EU and Iranian gas sectors attended by European and Iranian business leaders who will be able to cooperate more closely in the future as part of the technical assistance programme launched by the European Commission. The EU recently decided to negotiate a trade and cooperation agreement with Iran, in which energy and transport will prominently figure.