Sputnik- Iran's Deputy Oil Minister said that Tehran is hoping to sign new agreements with Russian energy companies by mid-December.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) � Tehran is hoping to�sign new agreements with�Russian energy companies by�mid-December, Iran's Deputy Oil Minister Amir Zamaninia said Thursday.

"We hope that by�the second half of�December, we are ready to�sign major agreements with�these six Russian companies," Zamaninia said during�the Russia-Iranian energy forum, specifying that the companies interested in�exploring Iran's energy reserves are Gazprom, Rosneft, LUKoil, Gazpromneft, Tatneft, Zarubezhneft.

Tehran is set to�host the next Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on�trade and economic cooperation on�December 13. "We are prepared as�of today to�hold a workshop [for Russian energy companies] in�Tehran to�go over�the financial model, technical model of�a new contract. We can hold it as�early as�you are prepared� And then engage in�a discussion of�coming up�with an agreement," Zamaninia added. The Russian Energy Ministry expects detailed discussions of�oil and gas cooperation with�Iran at�next month's intergovernmental commission, Deputy Minister of�Energy Kirill Molodtsov said Thursday.

"We expect from�the December event, among�other things� a discussion of�detailed points of�contact between�the interests of�Russian and Iranian oil and gas companies," Molodtsov said at�a Russian-Iranian energy forum. Tehran will host the next Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on�trade and economic cooperation on�December 13, the ministry said Wednesday.

"Today's event.. is primarily a preparation for�the forthcoming intergovernmental commission� with�the aim of�a detailed and comprehensive study and convergence of�the government and business officials' positions," Molodtsov added. He stressed that Russian companies, Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Zarubezhneft, Gazprom and LUKoil among�them, are interested in�onshore and offshore hydrocarbon exploration, development and production projects in�Iran.