TEHRAN Oct. 13 (Shana) � Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudriman Said is expected in Tehran for negotiations with high-ranking Iranian officials including Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh on expansion of bilateral oil and energy ties between the two major Asian countries.
Prior to his departure, he said Jakarta is interested in increased cooperation with Iran after removal of sanctions.

�There are numerous countries that want to cooperate with Iran,� he added, �Indonesia shall not be the last among the countries queuing up to enter Iran.�

The upcoming OPEC meeting, crude supply, oil exploration projects, and trade of gas for fertilizer production are among the topics to be negotiated in Iran, Said told reporters.

Indonesia wants to return to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Indonesia used to be a major oil producer in OPEC, and is looking for investment in this sector as it has turned to an importer of energy, he said.

�I have met Iranian investors and energy officials for three times and will proceed with the negotiations in Tehran,� the Indonesian minister added.

According to Said, Iran is interested to export bitumen to Indonesia and to cooperate in electricity generation in Indonesia.

Iran and Indonesia have agreed to construct small-size refineries of 20,000 to 300,000 bpd capacity in Indonesia. The joint venture project is worth around 3 billion dollars in which Iran has a 30 percent share.

By SHANA