French gas and power group Engie could be interested in Iran's gas industry but would be careful before making any investments there, Engie chief executive Gerard Mestrallet told shareholders on Wednesday.
Mestrallet's comments come just two weeks after Iran reached a deal with world powers that imposes curbs on Iran's nuclear program in return for an easing of the international sanctions which have badly hurt its economy.
"Legally, the sanctions have not been lifted yet, but there is nothing to stop us from having contacts," said Mestrallet, who added that he has met with the Iranian oil minister in the past two years.
Mestrallet said that Iran has the world's second biggest gas reserves after Russia and that the country is likely to become an exporter of gas as well as oil. He added that shipping this gas to Europe would probably involve pipelines in the south of Europe.
He also cited possible involvement of Engie in Iranian power engineering and gas infrastructure projects.