MOSCOW - Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh is to arrive in Moscow Saturday at the invitation of Russian Deputy Prime Minister in Charge of Energy Affairs Boris Nemtsev. Russia's Deputy Minister of Fuel and Power Engineering Mrs. Yelene Telegina said here Thursday that a number of Russian companies, among them Surgutneftegaz, had indicated their willingness to engage in joint enterprises with Iran in oil and gas exploitation, and hoped new agreements would be made in those areas.

Russia's Gazprom and Zarubezhneft have already entered into agreements with Iran's National Iranian Oil Company for joint ventures on a number of oil and gas fields in Iran. Gazprom is shareholder with another two partners of a consortium for exploiting Iran's South Pars gas field at the Persian Gulf. (IRNA)