Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 12/ Trend N. Umid, S. Isayev
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani`s Advisor Akbar Torkan has argued that those who did not implement the gas contract with UAE's Crescent Petroleum company, should be trialed, Iranian Donya-e-eqtesad daily reported.
He criticized conservatives who attack Rouhani`s Oil Minister nominee Bijan Namdar Zanganeh due to Crescent contract, adding that, opposition used the Crescent contract as "political weapon".
"The gas price listed in the contract was low, however, the mechanism of price increasing has been included in the document as well," Torkan said, adding that at the time, the world gas prices were also low.
Torkan stated that ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad`s administration's management led to Iran facing a $6 billion compensation to Crescent Petroleum, due to the contract not being implemented.
It should be recalled that, the conservatives and their media outlets have lately increased their attacks against Zanganeh for unclearness in signing a 25-year gas contract with UAE`s Crescent Petroleum company when he was Iran's Oil Minister in 2001.
Under that contract, worth up to $1 billion, Iran agreed to daily export some 500 million cubic feet of natural gas from the Salman gas field to UAE.
The contract has been criticized for having gas prices listed in it, below those on the world market.
Head of Kayhan newspaper Hossein Shariatmadari, appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, accused Bijan Namdar Zanganeh of concluding a "shameful" deal to supply Iran's natural gas for a price 14 times below the current prices set for foreigners.
Zanganeh also has been accused of playing role in 2009 presidential election protests.
"Playing a role in 2009 presidential election protests is a red line of the MPs," ICANA quoted head of the Parliament's Energy Committee, Masoud Mirkezamei as saying.
It should be recalled that ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad`s first Oil Minister, Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh is among supporters of Zanganeh.
He has argued that Zanganeh is the "right person" for the Oil Ministry, the report said.
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