TEHRAN- Afghanistan is keen to expand its gas oil imports from Iran to 1.2 million tons, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said after his meeting with Afghan Minister of Commerce and Industries Homayoun Rasa in Tehran on January 5.

Zanganeh said the two sides are still in talks over the details and Iran has not yet offered a price, IRNA news agency reported.

Currently, he said, Afghanistan’s annual gas oil import from Iran stands at 200,000 tons.

According to Iranian oil minister, Afghanistan has also expressed interest to import liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Iran, but, he said, the two countries are still negotiating.

The official said Afghanistan is willing to import an annual amount of 200,000 tons of LPG from Iran.

Rasa visited Iran as part of a high-ranking Afghan delegation, led by Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

The Afghan delegation ended its two-day visit on Wednesday.

During his visit, Abdullah said his country wants to enhance trade and transit ties with Iran. 

Abdullah also visited Iranian southeastern port of Chabahar during his stay. He is the second Afghan official who visited Iran this year. 

Last October, Zanganeh said by boosting the amount of Iran’s legal exports of oil products to Afghanistan, smuggling of these products from Iran to its neighboring country will be prevented and also Afghanistan will receive the better quality products.

Iran-Afghanistan energy relation has been mostly due to Iran’s exports of oil products to Afghanistan.

SJ/MA/