Speaking at his inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, October 6,
Bovard said removing bottlenecks and strengthening cooperation across all
sectors would help the country navigate difficult conditions and ensure
continued progress in the oil industry.
Bovard thanked President Masoud Pezeshkian for his
confidence in appointing him as acting petroleum minister and expressed hope
that he would be able to contribute to the government and the country.
He also praised former Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad
for his efforts, particularly during the two recent 12-day and 40-day wars.
Petroleum Industry to Maintain Momentum
Bovard said he and his colleagues were committed to
maintaining the pace of activities across the Petroleum Ministry.
“The outlook of everyone in the ministry, from senior
managers to operational personnel, is national,” he said, adding that
operational staff had demonstrated particularly strong performance during the
recent war.
The acting petroleum minister said the oil industry had
successfully fulfilled its responsibilities at critical junctures in the
country’s history and that its production and development policies and programs
were clearly defined.
He stressed that ongoing plans would be pursued with
determination.
Oil Industry as an Economic Driver
Bovard described the oil industry as the “locomotive of the
country’s economy,” saying progress in the sector would drive development
across other parts of the economy.
He expressed hope that stronger cooperation between the
government and the oil industry, combined with efforts to remove existing
bottlenecks, would enable the sector to maintain its performance despite
difficult conditions.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by First Vice
President Mohammad Reza Aref, Petroleum Ministry deputies and senior oil
industry officials.
President Pezeshkian appointed Bovard as acting petroleum minister
on October 4 after accepting Paknejad’s resignation from the post.