TEMPO.CO, Teheran - The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution led Indonesian delegates in a visit to Iran to follow up President Joko Widodo’s recent state visit to the country. Among the delegates were Energy and Mineral Resources Deputy Minister Arcandra Tahar, the Indonesian Ambassador to Iran, state officials and executive officers of state-owned companies and national companies.

Darmin had a formal meeting with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and Communication and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi.

“I have met with President Hassan Rouhani and delivered a letter from President Joko Widodo to strengthen economic ties between Indonesia and Iran,” Darmin stated in a press release on Sunday.

Among the key points in Indonesian delegates’ visit to Iran was the submission of proposals for two oil refineries operatorships in Ab Teymour and Mansour, Bangestan Province, southern Iran, from state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

A study conducted by Pertamina show that the two refineries hold over 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserve each, with a potential production of 200,000 barrels per day each.

In the energy sector, Indonesia and Iran explored opportunities in liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade for power plants, industrial areas (petrochemicals and fertilizers), as well as special economic zones in Indonesia. Iranian investors were wooed to invest in Indonesian refineries.

In financial services and banking, Darmin said that both countries discussed efforts to achieve safe, quick and easy financial transactions. The respective central bank emphasized cooperation in monetary, macroprudential policies and payment systems.

YOHANES PASKALIS