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U.S. sanctions not important for us: French Total Oil Co director in Iran
Tehran Times ^ | April 19, 2005

Posted on 04/18/2005 3:53:48 PM PDT by F14 Pilot

TEHRAN - Director for France’s oil giant Total in Iran Pierre Fabiani said that Total would continue its cooperation with Iran despite pressures from the United States, Iranian Students News Agency reported here on Monday.

He also said that Total is a professional company and does not meddle in the problems existing between the two countries – Iran and the U.S. - adding, “For us, it is a problem between Iran and the United States, at the first place we are a French company and at the second, Total is a European company and at the third, it is an international company and it only follows the sanctions imposed by France, European Union and the United Nations, other sanctions are not important for us.”

The oil expert also said that Iran’s investment risks have decreased in recent years and Total is ready to invest in all economically feasible energy projects in the Islamic Republic. He said, “Total is willing to invest, particularly, in Iran’s gas and oil production as well as energy development projects.”

The country director of Total further asserted that Total pursues strategies it has been following for the last 10 years adding, “Ten years ago, our company once again returned to Iran. It was the first company that regardless of the sanctions and other issues returned to the Islamic Republic. From then on, we have completed buyback projects like the Sirri A and E, South Pars phases 2 and 3 and Balal Oilfield.”

He added that currently, the company is working on Dorud project that is slated to come on stream by early next year. Elsewhere in his remarks he commented on the buyback agreements and noted, “The agreements are concluded only in one country in the world and that country is Iran because, Iran wants to save its natural resources for itself and the contracts - buyback agreements - are short-term solutions for that.”


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: energy; eu; europe; evils; field; france; french; frogs; geopolitics; iran; money; oil; sanction; sources; us

1 posted on 04/18/2005 3:53:56 PM PDT by F14 Pilot
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To: F14 Pilot

“For us, it is a problem between Iran and the United States, at the first place we are a French company and at the second, Total is a European company and at the third, it is an international company and it only follows the sanctions imposed by France, European Union and the United Nations, other sanctions are not important for us.”

The progression of the points made in this statement is not very logical.


2 posted on 04/18/2005 3:56:20 PM PDT by rightwinggoth
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To: DoctorZIn; McGavin999; freedom44; nuconvert; sionnsar; AdmSmith; parisa; onyx; Pro-Bush; Valin; ...

French laugh at our funny sanctions on Terrorist regime of Iran.


3 posted on 04/18/2005 3:56:22 PM PDT by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: F14 Pilot
Total is not going to like it when the mullahs are overthrown and the revolutionary government of Iran cancels their contracts without compensation.
4 posted on 04/18/2005 4:06:28 PM PDT by CzarNicky (The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
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To: CzarNicky

Yep!


5 posted on 04/18/2005 4:08:20 PM PDT by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: CzarNicky

Why would they cancel the contracts?


6 posted on 04/18/2005 4:15:03 PM PDT by toadthesecond
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To: toadthesecond

for working with the former mullah regime.


7 posted on 04/18/2005 4:20:30 PM PDT by CzarNicky (The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
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To: toadthesecond

How can they pay up from hell?


8 posted on 04/18/2005 4:20:31 PM PDT by monkeywrench
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To: monkeywrench

LoL

But seriously, I don't think Mullahs go to Hell though. Just like Saddam. They will be arrested and put in their own palaces to enjoy the rest of their lives.


9 posted on 04/18/2005 4:21:49 PM PDT by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: CzarNicky

Total is not going to like it when the mullahs are overthrown and the revolutionary government of Iran cancels their contracts without compensation.

Yep. And then we can hear them cry like they did when we invaded Iraq and nullified some of their contracts. Iran is next on our "hitlist", so France must like the idea of investing in countries that are about to be overthrown.


10 posted on 04/18/2005 4:26:47 PM PDT by conshack
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To: CzarNicky
But what if the works being undertaken are beneficial to the Iranian economy? Surely it may be in the new (pro-western) regime's interest to keep any ties with foreign partners?
11 posted on 04/18/2005 4:28:42 PM PDT by toadthesecond
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To: toadthesecond

The Iraqi people loathe the terrorist enabling, dictator loving french. So will the Iranians.


12 posted on 04/18/2005 4:39:37 PM PDT by monkeywrench
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To: toadthesecond
The Iranians will still have all the development that Total put in they just won't be paying Total for their efforts and another western oil company will get to reap the benefits.
13 posted on 04/18/2005 4:41:50 PM PDT by CzarNicky (The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
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To: F14 Pilot

Continue the boycott of France and the French companies. The best thing to ever come out of France was an empty bus.


14 posted on 04/18/2005 4:45:06 PM PDT by Natural Law
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To: F14 Pilot; freedom44; Khashayar; nuconvert; DoctorZIn; Grampa Dave; MeekOneGOP; devolve
"[A]t the first place we are a French company and at the second, Total is a European company and at the third, it is an international company and it only follows the sanctions imposed by France, European Union and the United Nations, other sanctions are not important for us.”

We French armed Saddam even after the U.S. invasion (Bill Gertz, Treachery: How America's Friends and Foes Are Arming Our Enemies, Crown, 2004.)

We have no ethical conflict supporting the repressive, tyrannical regime because we have no ethics.

We welcome Islamists and antisemites in our own country, so are natural allies of the mullahs.

Should the mullahs be replaced by democratic secularists might the new government contract with the U.S. as
the champion of democracy in the region? Would the rage against the mullahs extend to their benefactors?

15 posted on 04/18/2005 4:51:26 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: PhilDragoo

Total is the most corrupt oil company in the world. Don't believe it? Just check its activity in Africa and its years of playing footsie with every Muslim dictator from Indonesia to Morocco. Its activity in Iran as CFP (Compagnie Francaise de Petrole) and now at Total is scandalous.


16 posted on 04/18/2005 5:56:52 PM PDT by gaspar
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To: gaspar

French complicit with dictators?
I am shocked, shocked.

17 posted on 04/18/2005 6:44:48 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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