TEHRAN -- Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh in a meeting with Italian Productive Activities Minister Antonio Marzano here on Monday called for strong Iranian presence in Italy's gas market.

Zanganeh touched on strong contribution of Italian oil companies to Iranian oil industries development projects, especially in South Pars Gas Field and called for the companies' active role in Iran's petrochemical projects.

Marzano, who is also Italian head of Tehran-Rome Joint Economic Commission, said Italian companies are interested in further expansion of cooperation with Iranian oil ministry's subsidiaries.

Marzano is in Iran to take part in the fifth Tehran-Rome Joint Economic Cooperation Commission session.