RoydadNaft –  The spokesman for parliament’s internal affairs and councils committee said lawmakers will question the oil minister on why long-term contracts to sell Iranian oil to China were canceled.

According to Roydad Naft, Valiollah Bayati, spokesman of the Islamic Consultative Assembly’s internal affairs and councils committee, said the question concerns Iran–China oil contracts. Under the 25-year strategic cooperation program between Iran and China, an oil-sales contract is concluded between the Iranian Oil Trading Company and seven Chinese refineries.

The member for Tafresh, Ashtian, and Farahan said the contracts ran for two years and, within the two countries’ strategic cooperation program, were meant to give Iran a secure, guaranteed market for its oil for that period.

The contract between the Iranian oil company and the seven Chinese refineries was canceled by the Oil Ministry after six months, he said. As the official responsible for the country’s oil sales, the oil minister must explain why this strategic contract was canceled. The purpose of the parliamentary question is to make that clear.

Another reason for the question is to establish who will compensate for losses from the cancellation, Bayati said, because ending such a contract can affect relations and dealings between Iran and China.

Pointing to the importance of ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and China, especially now and after the third imposed war, he said issues of this kind and the personal preferences of officials should not be allowed to disrupt the 25-year strategic cooperation program between Iran and China.