MOSCOW, January 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian oil giant LUKOIL may return to Iran after international sanctions against the country are lifted, chief executive Vaghit Alekperov told reporters.

Iran was Russia's neighbor, he noted, adding that LUKOIL had already worked there and was ready to return. The time was coming when oil companies would be objects of interest for countries and governments as big investors, he said.

"If once it was hard for us to come to certain national markets, now we are invited with pleasure as big investors," Alekperov said.