Informative Note on the Visit of the Romanian President of the Council of Ministers, Chivu Stoica, to Iran, 13-19 May 1967

Informative Note on the visit of the Romanian President of the Council of Ministers, Chivu Stoica, to Iran, 13-19 May 1967.

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On this occasion the Shah pointed out that Iran was interested in a large-scale cooperation with socialist countries on crude-related matters. As for the concrete means through which this cooperation could be realized, he mentioned the possibility [of building] a special pipeline just for socialist countries, from a Yugoslav port [towards Eastern European countries], and the creation of a consortium of socialist countries which would take care of buying the Iranian crude, transporting it through a pipeline to the Soviet border. Stating that this form of cooperation, suggested by the USSR, does not encroach on Iran’s interests, but that it could irritate certain socialist countries, the Shah said that the cooperation between socialist countries and Iran on crude-related matters [should] be looked into by the governments of the countries directly involved in [this cooperation] and that Iran agreed with bilaterally solving the matter of crude deliveries to the countries which prefer doing so. The Shah mentioned that Iran had nothing against the sale of crude to Romania being arranged on a bilateral basis since Romania had the means to pay, but he pointed out that other countries, such as Bulgaria, did not have the means to pay for the crude which it wants to buy from Iran, and could be interested in creating this consortium.