A senior NPC delegation headed by Deputy Petroleum Minister and NPC President, M. R. Nematzadeh visited South Africa and held talks with Sasol's top management, including the company's CEO, Peter Cox. This was to follow up earlier discussions the two companies had in Tehran regarding possible cooperation in the NPC's gas-to-liquids (GTL) and olefin projects. During the visit, NPC and Sasol signed documents outlining the future plan of action for the projects. NPC team also visited Sasol's GTL, olefins and R&D sites and facilities at Secunda and Sasolburg.
Nematzadeh also met the South African Minister of Minerals and Energy, Her Excellency Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuba. They conferred about bilateral ties and expansion of mutual cooperation.
Back in February 2002, a senior Sasol team accompanied the South African government delegation to the 6th Irano-South African joint commission, which was held in Tehran. In their meeting with Mr. Nematzadeh and senior NPC officials, the team sought ways of possible mutual cooperation in GTL and olefins projects.
They also held meetings with Petroleum Minister HE Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and senior officials from the Iranian oil and gas sectors seeking to advance bilateral collaboration.



Ambassadors, charge d'affairs, commercial attaches and representatives from 32 embassies based in Tehran visited NPC facilities and projects at Mahshahr.
During their one-day trip, the diplomatic corps were briefed on the latest status of the NPC's projects that are under construction at Petrochemical Special Economic Zone (Petzone). They also visited the construction activities at the projects' sites. The diplomats also toured Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex (BIPC) and infrastructural facilities developed in the region by NPC. The visit was organized to make foreign diplomats based in Tehran familiar with the NPC plans to develop the Iranian petrochemical sector.