We are happy to hear that international firms have offered to purchase Mobarakeh Steel Company. Two Indian and Russian enterprises have made offers to buy the plant, the Persian service of Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted the managing director of the nations main steel producer as saying on Saturday. However, he added, decisions on the sale of the plant would be up to the government. Launching an international bid would also be necessary in that case. He put the companys production in the past three years at three million tons and noted that the figure would hit 4.1 million tons by the end of the year (Iranian year ends March 20). Referring to Mobarakeh Steel Company as being the largest steel producing plant in the whole Middle East region the company director stated that a number of plans aimed at the development of the company were currently underway. PIN/MNA