Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 28 /Trend T.Konyayeva/
Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi was removed from the 'black list' of Western countries, Mehr News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The Iranian Oil Ministry sent a letter to the OPEC Secretariat to admit Ghasemi to the 160th session of the oil cartel in Vienna on December 14. The executive organ has enabled the minister to attend the OPEC meeting as a Head of the organization, which is chaired by Iran since October, 2010.
Ghasemi previously served as Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General and commander of Khatam al-Anbya Construction Headquarters, an IRGC's construction unit, which currently implements most of Iran's oil and gas projects.
In February 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department has inscribed Brigadier General's name in the "black list" of persons, who are prohibited from doing business with U.S. companies or have accounts in the United States. Furthermore, blacklisted officials and individuals are banned from traveling to the US and European countries.
After approving Ghasemi's candidacy to the post of oil minister in early August, he automatically becomes the Head of the OPEC. But Western sanctions over the minister made his presence at the OPEC's sessions impossible.
But the U.S. and Europe have not confirmed officially Ghasemi's removal from the 'black list'.