TEHRAN, Iran, Feb.14
Trend:
Iran's oil export volume to China has been reduced, said the Member of the parliament energy committee.
Ghasem Saedi has discussed the oil export to China and claims of significant export fall in an interview with Trend.
"China was exempted from the US sanctions against Iran's oil sale for six months, but it did not buy considerable amount of oil from Iran during the exemption period," MP said.
"China is following its own interests; therefore, when Saudi Arabia exported most of its oil at lower prices to Japan and South Korea, China has also followed them," Saedi added.
"We can not expect a country to leave its national interests behind just because it is our political friend, although it is expected that China helps Iran in the current situation," he noted.
"Iran's solution is to reduce dependency on oil. Currently, we should think of the increase in domestic production and self-sufficiency alongside reducing import and exporting products that previously were not exported," Saedi said.
"In past two years, the budgets were more logical; and we have seen that the budget dependency on oil sale has been reduced, although the issue should have been implemented far earlier," MP added.