国际英语新闻：Western sanctions not affect Iran's foreign trade: official

TEHRAN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Minister of Commerce Mehdi Ghazanfari said Saturday that Iran's trade ties with other countries have not been affected by the unjust sanctions against the country imposed by the U.S. and its Western allies, the official IRNA news agency reported Saturday.

"Many countries are willing to increase their trade relations with Iran and contest with each other to make investment in the country," Ghazanfari was quoted as saying.

Those states interested in investing in Iran's oil and gas projects should seize the chance and take advantage of the existing opportunity to cooperate with Iran, he told reporters on the sidelines of a media fair in Tehran.

"Iran has stopped gasoline imports in the recent months and has expressed its readiness to export this product, which indicates that Iran has obtained the required know-how in oil industry," he was quoted as saying by the local satellite Press TV Saturday.

The United States and its western allies have passed sanction bills against Iran and urged Tehran to halt the activities of its nuclear program, but the Islamic Republic said its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.

On a fresh move, the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday blacklisted 37 Europe-based shipping companies and five Iranian individuals which it said has assisted in Iran's weaponry program.