Russian Energy Minister, Alexander Novak, stated that Syria is in talks with Russia to have Russian oil companies participate in restoring Syrian oil extracting infrastructure, reported TASS Russian News Agency.

Novak said: “We constantly contact our Syrian partners on the possible participation of companies from Russia in implementing oil and gas projects or restoring the already existing projects on Syria’s territory,” according to Al Masdar News.

Novak held a meeting with Syrian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Ali Ghanem, in which they discussed the Russian contribution in the Syrian Infrastructure.

In February 2017, member of Russia’s Parliament, Dmitry Sablin, had met Syrian President, Bashar Assad, and had announced that Russian companies would be the preferred choice to work in oil and gas production in Syria.

According to Sablin, Assad had told a visiting Russian delegation of lawmakers that neither Iran nor China has companies with a worldwide reputation in the oil and gas sector like Russia has.