RF, Iran intend to set up company to promote new projects in Iran.

TEHRAN, November 30 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia and Iran intend to establish
a company in order to promote new projects in the Islamic Republic,
Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko told reporters after a meeting of
the Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission here on Sunday.

"We are negotiating the creation of a special agency to promote
projects in Iran," Shmatko said. According to him, this structure may be a
joint venture or any other legal entity. The most important thing so that
qualified Russian and Iranian specialists, who could promote new projects
in Iran, would work in this structure.
"Currently the start-up for new businesses in Iran is mainly
complicated by the lack of knowledge about the specific work in the
region. The qualified assistance will be needed to make it easier for the
companies to enter this market. We are ready to create necessary
mechanisms and render such support," the minister emphasized.
Speaking on the promising trends of cooperation Shmatko noted that a
specialized company will be primarily engaged in energy and transport
infrastructure projects. Alongside, the countries have good prospects for
car-making cooperation. The company will be established on a parity basis
and will be engaged particularly in the financial and economic support of
the projects, Shmatko said.

.Russia companies can set up consortium for energy projects in Iran.

TEHRAN, November 30 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia and Iran are negotiating the
establishment of a specialized consortium to promote projects in the oil
and gas industry in the Islamic Republic. A consortium will be similar to
that Russian oil companies had created in Latin America, Russian Energy
Minister Sergei Shmatko told reporters here on Sunday.
"It is necessary to establish an authorized agency, which will assist
Russian companies to develop oil and gas fields in Iran," he said. "When
each company operates separately, we achieve not quite high results," he
regretted. Alongside, the operation in this region is very promising, and
the companies should understand it, the minister went on to say. To
preserve and develop Russia's positions in this sphere in Iran, "it is
necessary to give close attention to it constantly, when there is no such
attention, people (Iranians) do not believe to us."
Alongside, Shmatko reaffirmed that under many projects Iran "is ready
and is willing to cooperate with Russian companies." "The creation of a
specialized structure, a project team, can prove to be highly efficient
and can accelerate the implementation of the projects for a short period
of time," he believes.
The energy minister indicated that at the Sunday consultations with
Iranian high-ranking officials the bilateral cooperation in energy,
transport and the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was
discussed. "Iran is open for negotiations on all trends of energy
cooperation, including the gas industry," he reaffirmed. Shmatko met with
the Iranian oil minister to discuss cooperation in third countries,
cooperation in the Caspian region and the promotion of new projects.
According to him, Iran assesses highly the prospects of liquefied
natural gas cooperation. "We agreed to elaborate on this issue," he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said the countries had reached an agreement on
creating a working group to promote oil and gas cooperation, including the
drafting of 'a road map' of all oil and gas fields, which Russian
companies are developing or are willing to develop in Iran. Deputy Energy
Minister Sergei Kudryashov will head the working group from Russia.

.Thai Union-3 shipowner refutes rumors on captain worsening health.

NAIROBI, November 30 (Itar-Tass) -- The shipowner of the Thai Union-3
tuna boat with the Russian crew captured by Somali pirates refuted the
rumors about a worsening health of the captain, Maritime Bulletin
editor-in-chief Mikhail Voitenko said on Sunday with the reference to his
personal talks with the shipowner and the captain.
"According to available reports, the captain is almost all right, his
hand is aching, it is still in plaster, but his health is not worsening.
The crew is also all right, all crewmen are safe and sound, have food,
water and fuel supplies, the vessel is kept in a satisfactory technical
condition," Voitenko said.
The Thai Union-3 tuna boat was captured on October 29 in the high
seas, 200 nautical miles north of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The
vessel was en route to a new fishing area after unloading. Some 23 crewmen
are Russian citizens from the Kaliningrad region; other four crewmen are
the citizens of the Philippines and Ghana.
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