Kenya has cancelled plans to
import crude oil from Iran following threats of sanctions, an official
at the Kenyan energy ministry has said. The outline deal signed last
month was to import about 4m tonnes of oil from the Iranian National Oil
Company. But the US embassy in Nairobi had warned it was important to
cut revenue to the Iranian government. The US and the European Union
have just tightened sanctions on Iran over concerns about its nuclear
programme. "Because of international pressure, we have withdrawn that
understanding," AFP news agency quotes Patrick Nyoik, the energy
ministry's permanent secretary, as saying.
On Sunday, a complete European Union oil
embargo on Iran came into effect - in response to US legislation, which
sanctions any entity that deals with Iran's Central Bank. "There are
sanctions that are in place for people that are buying oil and products
from Iran - there would be repercussions," outgoing US ambassador to
Kenya Scott Gration warned earlier on Wednesday about Kenya's oil
importation plans.
Last month, Kenya's only refinery said
that it would start buying its own crude oil, Reuters news agency
reported. According to Kenya's Business Daily newspaper, under the
proposed contract Tehran had been offering Kenya an extended credit
facility of 90 days.
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