Although in the opinion of some experts one should not draw a comparison between this pipeline (which goes through Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey) and the Iranian route – because the BTC pipeline carries crude oil from the Caspian Sea to markets in Europe, while the Iranian route is used for transport of crude produced by the Caspian Sea littoral states to Asian markets – Iran, owing to its potential capacities and geopolitical location, is interested in contributing to the supply of oil needed by Europe through the countries bordering the Caspian Sea. Therefore, construction of a pipeline which can carry Iranian crude oil to the port of Ladicia in Syria and the Mediterranean Sea via Iraq has been the focal point of attention among Iranian policy makers in recent months. Through this, Iran could exchange Caspian Sea oil for refining, and deliver the produced crude through a pipeline to customers in the Mediterranean Sea. The most important justification for this project is its economic aspect: in other words, this could prove to be more economical than the BTC line, not only for Asian markets but also for markets in Europe. During the recent visit to Tehran of Syrian President Beshar al-Assad, and his meeting with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, which was his first with a foreign dignitary since taking office, the issue was brought up and discussed. What makes the implementation of the pipeline projects important in view of the leaders of regional countries is the role it can play in consolidating bonds among the countries of the region. The visit to Tehran of Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari at the head of a high-ranking delegation in the last days in office of former president Mohammad Khatami heralded the expansion of Tehran-Baghdad co-operation, particularly in the field of energy. Negotiations between the two countries for laying a pipeline between the southern Iranian port of Abadan and the port of Basra in Iraq had long been underway. With an agreement on mutual oil co-operation, the two sides decided to lay a pipeline between the two countries through which Iraq would transfer crude oil from Basra to the Abadan refinery in exchange for receiving oil derivatives. Despite these positive developments, the Iraqi government is under heavy pressure by the occupation forces who did not conceal their dissatisfaction with the Iraqi premier's trip to Tehran. This is while Ankara, with US support, has hosted the Iraqi prime minister, and has held extensive talks on oil- and gas-related co-operation between Iraq and Turkey. The US pressure caused the Iraqi oil minister to frankly announce in Tehran that the Iraqi delegation was not supposed to hold any talks on the presence of Iranian oil companies in Iraq and their participation in reconstruction of oil pipelines and refineries in Iraq. Bahra ul-Ulum also is reported to have rejected rumours of an Iraq-Iran co-operation for exploring oil- and gasfields. The losses inflicted on Iraq's oil and gas installations is put at around $11 billion, and its aim is to resume oil exports with the aim of earning the money that the country needs to reconstruct its oil industry. Iraq's current oil production stands at 2.5 million brl/d that are mainly extracted from its southern oilfields; of this, around 1.5 million brl/d are exported. Although multinational oil companies of the West, encouraged by their respective governments, are holding numerous conferences and gatherings with an aim of facilitating their presence in the lucrative oil and gas industry, that country's vast capacities in this domain have tempted other countries to announce their readiness for presence in Iraq. Pertamina, the national oil company of Indonesia, has spoken of an agreement with Iraqi government officials, under which Pertamina has undertaken to carry out excavations in a bloc covering an area of 10,000 square km in the western desert for exploration of oil and gas. Korea's National Oil Co (KNOC) is understood to have agreed a letter of understanding with the Iraqi Oil Ministry to help develop oilfields, and to conduct joint research on oil blocs. South Korea, which is among the big purchasers of oil in the world, and imports all its oil, is interested in guaranteeing sustained energy sources by increasing the foreign share in its energy sector. Iraq's proven oil reserves stand at 115 billion barrels, the third largest reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iran. There are still 11 major oilfields in Iraq for whose development tenders have been announced: these could add three million barrels of oil to the country's daily oil output. Given Iran's capabilities and conditions prevailing in the Iraqi energy market, its share is very meagre: in other words, the Iraqi government reiterates the need to develop its co-operation with Iran in order to meet its basic needs.