Colombo, Dec 2 (IANS) Sri Lanka is keen to import oil from Iran and is monitoring a recent deal signed between six world powers and the Iranian government, an official said Monday.
Petroleum Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said his government has sought information from the US embassy in Colombo on the deal signed between the six countries and Iran, reported Xinhua.
“We are still not sure what sanctions will be lifted but our refineries are built to suit Iranian oil. So if things go well we will consider the option of importing oil from Iran once again,” Yapa said.
The initial agreement reached recently after more than four days of negotiations between Iran and the US, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany, was designed to buy time for negotiations on a final settlement of the decade-old nuclear dispute.
The minister said apart from the US sanctions imposed on Iran there are also sanctions imposed by the European Union which Sri Lanka needs to take into consideration when deciding on buying Iranian oil.
In 2012, the Sri Lankan government decided to stop importing oil from Iran ahead of a US sanctions deadline.