Iran is making moves to bring Western investors into the country’s energy sector, with Iranian media reportedly detailing efforts by the Iranian Oil Ministry to hold a conference next July that will include “experts from Europe and the United States.”

Morteza Behrouzi, the secretary-general for the conference, told the Fars News Agency Western investors are expected to attend. “Experts from Europe and the United States are due to address the conference,” he said in an interview published Saturday. “[It] will be the best opportunity for introducing the investment attractions in the country’s oil and energy industries.”

Meanwhile other Iranian media outlets reported on statements from Mehdi Karbasian, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Industries, welcoming Italian investments in the domestic mining projects.

Iran and Italy have valuable ties for more than three decades, deputy minister Mehdi Karbasian said, adding that Iran welcomes Italian companies’ cooperation in implementing its new mining projects. Aluminum, steel and copper projects are some of the potential areas of cooperation, Karbasian said in a meeting with Ignazio Moncada, head of board of directors of Italian FATA SpA.

The moves are likely to be read in Washington against the backdrop of debates over Congressional legislation which would promote future sanctions against Iran should it fail to put its nuclear program beyond use for weaponization. The White House has insisted that such measures should be put off in the near term, because sanctions can be passed quickly should they become necessary. Skeptics have countered that new investment opportunities will generate new economic interests – and more specifically, new political lobbies – dedicated to preventing the imposition of sanctions.

Mikhail Margelov, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Russia’s Duma parliament, declared on Monday that Moscow evaluates that conditions have now been met to justify the full lifting of sanctions on Iran.”

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