Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.28
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Ali Akbar Velayati, director of the Iranian Expediency Council's Center for Strategic Research, said France has announced its readiness to facilitate trade with Iran.
Velayati made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting with a delegation of French parliament members in Tehran, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on April 28.
The two sides discussed ways to expand bilateral ties and remove obstacles on economic transactions between the two countries, Mehr quoted Velayati as saying.
The French delegation, headed by Chairman of the Finance Committee of the French Senate Philippe Marini arrived in Iran on April 22.
Iranian minister of Industries, Mines and Trade, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh in a meeting with Marini expressed hope that the obstacles on expansion of industrial and trade ties between the two countries could be removed soon.
Nematzadeh also called for expansion of cooperation in industrial, trade and cultural arenas. He noted that the volume of trade transaction between Iran and France stood at $ 600 million in 2013.
Among the regional countries, Iran enjoyed the most stable political and economic situation, Nematzadeh added.
Thanks to its rich ferrous and nonferrous mineral resources, the minister stressed, Iran is ready to absorb more foreign investments in these sectors.
Marini, for his part, called for resumption of bilateral trade transactions. He also demanded direct French investments in business entities in Iran.
The French official voiced his country's readiness to cooperate with Iran in tourism industry, environment, science and technology.