TEHRAN, Jan 9 (Shana) � Director General of International Affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has denied media reports that Tehran has accepted receiving the outstanding amount of crude oil transactions with New Delhi in Indian rupees.

�If NIOC was to receive the unpaid sum in rupees, it would do it earlier,� Mohsen Qamsari told Shana.

The debts are arising of US-led sanctions which barred money transfers to Iran which are planned to be lifted in coming days in the wake of the nuclear accord with the world powers.

Last December, Foreign ministers of Iran and India met in Islamabad negotiating promotion of bilateral relations including construction of a seabed pipeline to export gas to energy thirsty India in the post-sanctions era.

�With the closing of (nuclear) PMD case, there is no longer any impediment on the way of increasing relations between Iran and India,� Zarif said, adding that New Delhi can cooperate with Tehran in development of Chah Bahar Port as well as other economic, trade, and banking activities.

Gas-rich Iran which holds the largest reservoirs of 34 tcm or 18 percent of the global resources has entered into contracts for export of natural gas to neighboring Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, and UAE.

�India plans to purchase 2 more million barrels of oil in the near future,� Qamsari said earlier.

By SHANA