BAGHDAD, February 27. /TASS/. Moscow has suggested that Baghdad adopt joint standards for oil and gas equipment, which is necessary for organizing deliveries from Russia, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov told reporters.
"We are addressing the issue of transitioning to joint standards on the basis of the Institute of Oil and Gas Technology Initiatives, aligning our international standards," he said following the meeting of the Russian-Iraqi intergovernmental commission on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation.
Earlier, Russian companies explored Iraqi equipment supply tenders, but their documents required compliance with the American Petroleum Institute standard, which automatically eliminated Russia’s chances due to sanctions, the minister explained.
Founded in 2020, the Institute of Oil and Gas Technology Initiatives brought together energy corporations, equipment producers, licensors, and general contractors. It is also involved in developing the national standardization system.
"We cannot participate in tenders due to this, though we have considerable equipment, with which we can enter [the Iraqi market], not only for oil production and refining but also for electrical systems," Tsivilyov noted.
Russia has also successfully negotiated this issue with Kuwait and the UAE, he added.
"This is a great opportunity to move to standards close to American standards, but much broader and enabling us to participate in tenders," the minister emphasized.