Azerbaijan, Baku, May 23/Trend M. Moezzi
Iran's Oil Ministry signed a cooperation agreement with the Basij Organisation to make the country's oil industry self-sufficient.
The agreement was signed by Rostam Ghasemi, Iran's oil minister and Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, commander of the Basij force, Fars news agency reports.
The 10-point document focuses on using professors, engineers and specialists who are Basij members to help speed up Iran's move toward a self-sufficient oil industry.
Originally called to action by Ayatollah Khomeini, members of the Basij fought in the Iran-Iraq War. The organisation's mandate has changed throughout the years, picking up economic facets in addition to its role as an enforcer.
The Basij Organisation is a part of Iran's vast and increasingly powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), itself originally formed as a purely military force.
Now an economic power, the IRGC, referred to as Sepah, is involved in nearly all aspects of Iran's economy. Its projects range from multibillion dollar contracts to the development of the oil and gas fields through its Khatam al-Anbiya construction headquarters, to taking over the government run telecommunications company to manufacturing cars and building roads.
Sepah's budget and activities run outside government supervision.