According to Tansim News Agency, South Africa has formally announced its readiness to resume crude imports from Iran, once sanctions were fully lifted.

South Africa’s Deputy Energy Minister Thembisile Majola made these remarks in Tehran during a meeting with Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister Mansour Moazami.

South Africa is also particularly interested in importing natural gas from Iran, reported Press TV.

Majola said that the country was preparing the way for the participation of both state and private enterprisers in Iranian projects to produce Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as well as Gas to Liquid (GTL).

She added that South Africa was planning to hand over GTL technologies to Iran, which are more complicated and expensive than LNG technology, and that Pretoria wants to participate with Iran in the construction of new refiners in South Africa.

South Africa was even in talks with Shell, BP, Total and Chevron to resume the trade of crude oil with Tehran, if and when sanctions are lifted.