Baku, Azerbaijan, May 12
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: German firms are very interested in being present in the Iranian market.
German Ambassador to Tehran Michael Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg said the two countries have much potential to expand bilateral trade, but political problems have hindered the two sides,Iran's ISNA news agency reported on May 12.
He referred to Iran's nuclear issue as one of the main factors which have affected economic relations between Iran and Germany.
He made the remarks in a meeting with the governor general of Iran's northwestern East Azarbaijan province.
On April 11, Iranian industry minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said holding joint economic meetings between Iranian and German businessmen could lead to an increase of bilateral trade to €8 billion in the future.
Nematzadeh urged German investors to benefit from opportunities which have been created after the Geneva agreement between Iran and the P5+1,Iran's Mehr news agency reported.
After the Geneva agreement, French, Italian, Austrian, and German companies started to re-enter the Iranian market, he added.
"Annual trade between Iran and Germany has not ever dropped below $3 billion, even under the international sanctions," Nematzadeh said.
Germany was the leading European trade partner of Iran in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, the Iranian Customs Administration said.
Germany exported $2.451 billion worth of goods to Iran and imported $335 million worth of goods from Iran in the past Iranian year.
Germany was also the biggest exporter of textiles to Iran. It exported some $865 million worth of textiles to Iran in the past year.
On Jan.14, chairman of Iranian chamber of commerce Gholamhossein Shafei said expansion of trade ties between Iran and Germany will lead to sustainable political relations between the two countries.
Edited by C.N.