Iran's Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mehdi Ghazanfari says the Islamic Republic will deliver several vessels to Venezuela in the "near future."
According to Press TV report, during a Thursday ceremony to launch a project to develop a loading and unloading dock in the Persian Gulf Special Economic Zone, Ghazanfari said that Iran's shipping industry could bring about economic growth for the country.
"So far, we have signed a deal to sell several vessels to Venezuela and we should be able to deliver the orders in the near future," he added.
Iran has completed the building of the first Aframax tanker for the Venezuelan national oil company, PDVSA. Iranian Vice President for International Affairs Ali Saeedlou also said on July 1 that the tanker will be delivered to the Latin American country soon.
The vessel was one of the four tankers ordered by the Venezuelan company and built by Iran Marine Industrial Company (Sadra).
Ghazanfari stressed that although Iran's shipping industry has been subject to sanctions by hegemonic powers, the country has made a significant progress in the industry thanks to Iranian engineers.
The minister said that colonialist countries seek to pile up different types of pressures on the Islamic Republic to inhibit the development of the country's shipping industry.
Despite all such pressures, Ghazanfari pointed out, Iran's shipping industry is now among the top ones in the world and currently ranks 14th in terms of providing insurances to giant and cargo ships as well as oil tankers.
He also hailed the manufacturing of an ocean-going tanker by Iran Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex Co. (ISOICO) as a sign of the country's great potential in the shipbuilding industry.