Bovard said the document was approved by the Regional Energy
Trade Steering Council, chaired by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref,
following its preparation under the Petroleum Ministry's leadership.
The roadmap was developed in line with Clause (T) of Article
44 of Iran's Seventh National Development Plan, he said.
The document establishes a coordinated framework for Iran's
regional energy trade activities, with defined action plans covering oil and
petroleum products, natural gas and petrochemicals. It is designed to align the
country's initiatives with developments in regional energy markets, Bovard
added.
Private Sector Participation and Strategic Priorities
Bovard said key indicators incorporated into the roadmap
include, for the first time, an active role for private sector players in
regional energy trade, consideration of technological developments in regional
and global energy markets, and stronger links between energy trade and domestic
issues.
Other priorities include technopolitical considerations,
diplomatic and strategic marketing, and the development of new markets.
He said the framework recognizes the potential contribution
of non-governmental players alongside public-sector entities, while taking
regional and global market developments into account when formulating and
revising action plans.
Three- and Six-Month Monitoring Mechanism
Under the implementation framework, the Petroleum Ministry's
Deputy for Planning has been designated as the specialized secretariat of the
Regional Energy Trade Steering Council.
The Petroleum Ministry's Institute for International Energy
Studies will serve as the permanent center for working groups tasked with
monitoring implementation and developing flexible energy diplomacy programmes,
Bovard said.
The mechanism provides for continuous monitoring, feedback
collection and the adjustment of action plans at three- and six-month intervals
to ensure that implementation keeps pace with changes in regional energy
markets.
Bovard said the framework would, for the first time in Iran,
enable energy-related initiatives across different sectors to be coordinated
and implemented continuously with the participation of both public- and
private-sector stakeholders.
Feedback, reporting and the resolution of implementation
challenges will also form part of the monitoring process, he added.