Addressing a conference to introduce the investment potentialities of
Kermanshah, in western Iran, the official said 10 petrochemicals plants
operated in western provinces which supplied 5 million tons of petrochemicals
annually.
He said the plants could be exporting items to neighboring Iraq, calling
for exploiting the potentialities of the western provinces in the field of
exports.
Zangeneh said Iraq was a favorable market for Iran, and said Iraq
would not become a petrochemicals producer at least until the next decade and
the items produced in the western provinces of Iran could be sold on the Iraqi market.
The official further said that development of the 5 western provinces
of Kermanshah, Ilam, Kurdistan, Lorestan and Hamedan could be considered in a
package.
He argued that the provinces complemented each other and their
development needed to be seen as a whole.
The Iranian Minister of Petroleum further added that 3 petrochemicals
plants were running in Kermanshah, adding that construction of a fourth one was
under way.