Meeting between Iran’s Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Kenya’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum
on December 11 2025
Dr. Hassan Abbaszadeh, Deputy Minister of Petroleum and CEO of the National Petrochemical Company of Iran, traveled to Kenya to attend the UNEA-7 side event on plastics held on December 12, 2025. Taking advantage of his presence in Nairobi, a formal request was submitted for a meeting with H.E. Opiyo Wandayi, Minister of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya. The meeting took place on December 11, 2025, at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in Nairobi.
The Kenyan delegation included Minister Wandayi, two deputy ministers in the fields of oil and energy, the Commissioner of Petrochemicals, and a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Iranian delegation comprised Dr. Abbaszadeh, Ambassador Gholampour, Mr. Rahimi Mamagani (Board Member and Head of International Affairs of the National Petrochemical Company), and the Embassy’s Economic Officer.
Minister Wandayi welcomed the Iranian delegation, recalling the longstanding and friendly relations between the two countries since Kenya’s independence, based on mutual respect and shared interests. The Iranian Ambassador expressed gratitude for arranging the meeting, congratulated Kenya on its National Day, and reviewed the history of bilateral cooperation in oil and energy. He noted that during the late President Raisi’s visit to Kenya, discussions and agreements were reached on the credit purchase of Iranian oil, though they were never implemented. He also highlighted the outcomes of the Seventh Joint Commission for Cooperation held in Nairobi in summer 2025, where several energy-related provisions were agreed upon. He emphasized Iran’s readiness to dispatch a technical delegation to Kenya and reiterated invitations previously extended to Minister Wandayi to visit Iran.
Dr. Abbaszadeh conveyed the warm greetings of Iran’s Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Paknejad, and outlined Iran’s vast energy capacities. He noted that Iran holds 209 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves (ranking fourth globally) and 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves (ranking second globally). In petrochemicals, Iran produces around 100 million tons annually, exporting $15 billion worth of products—including polymers, urea fertilizers, and chemicals—to various countries. He emphasized Iran’s readiness to cooperate with Kenya in supplying crude oil, LPG, petrochemical products, bitumen, and in refinery operations, maintenance, and training.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Abbaszadeh invited Minister Wandayi and his technical team to visit Iran. Minister Wandayi expressed appreciation for the invitation, noting that Kenya is a net importer of petroleum products and considers Iran a “big brother” among oil-producing nations. He highlighted Kenya’s proven oil reserves of 2.7 billion barrels, but acknowledged the absence of significant natural gas resources. He pointed to opportunities for cooperation in LPG, storage facilities, and pipeline infrastructure, and called for technical teams from both countries to hold online and in-person meetings to advance cooperation.
Kenyan deputy ministers also welcomed the Iranian delegation, introduced their respective areas of responsibility, and emphasized the importance of exchanging expertise with Iran, particularly in training Kenyan energy professionals. It was agreed that an online meeting of the bilateral technical committee on oil, gas, and petrochemicals would be convened soon.