On the first day of his work, Mr. Owji attended the tomb of the martyrs of the central building of the Ministry of Petroleum and paid tribute to the three anonymous martyrs of the Holy Defense.

He further outlined his most important priorities to reporters.

By relying on God and the efforts of the employees and managers of the oil industry, he said, the challenges ahead can be solved and effective steps towards the advancement of this industry will be taken.

He also noted the challenge of winter gas and fuel imbalance, organizing human capital and third parties, maintaining production, determining the fate of joint oil and gas fields, supporting domestic manufacturing, strong energy diplomacy and comprehensive cooperation with neighboring countries in the field of oil and gas as the most important needs of the oil industry.

The Minister of Petroleum also underlined the sale of crude oil and gas condensate, and said: "Fortunately, good solutions have been devised that by taking advantage of all the capacities available in the Ministry of Petroleum and other organs, good figures in the sale of crude oil and gas condensate will be produced."

Owji also highlighted promotion of the status of the University of Petroleum Industry and recruitment of elites and specialized and capable executives in the oil industry, adding: “The issue of promotion and the relationship between the oil industry and the university is one of the most important necessities that must be addressed seriously.”

In response to a question about Iran's position and plan at the upcoming meeting of members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, OPEC+, he clarified: “Certainly the plant of the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum for strong presence in the meeting will be announced as soon as possible.”

Minister of Oil continued: "Our priority will be to have Iran's quota returned in OPEC and we seek to revive our share in the global crude oil markets; by developing appropriate and smart solutions for selling oil and benefiting from the capacities of the ministry, private sector and the diplomatic apparatus, we will identify new markets and increase oil sales significantly.”

Owji added: "Of course, we should not overlook the fact that the only way to develop the country's economy is to prevent the sale of raw materials and gas condensate, that, by attracting capital and creating value added by completing the value chain, especially in the petrochemical sector, we will witness spectacular developments."

He said: "Regarding the sale of oil, there are numerous solutions that need to be resolved through legal discussions. By selling oil, part of the income can be provided as hard currency and the other part by bartering and importing staple commodities and equipment needed by the industry."

According to him, some domestic and foreign investors are interested in investing in the country's projects not only in the oil industry but also in the field of roads and urban development, power plants and industries and mines, and in return receive crude oil and condensate.