Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 28
By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:
Iran signed a deal with Airbus for the purchase of 118 aircraft from the European manufacturer.
The deal was signed by Iran's Roads and Urban Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi and his French counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Francois Hollande in Elysee Palace, Paris, Iranian state-run TV channel IRINN reported from the event venue Jan. 28.
Under the terms of the contract, Airbus will be committed to deliver the aircraft, acquired by Iran under the lease, within four years.
According to the contract, the planes will be brand new in different types, including the wide-body Airbus A380. Iran is committed to pay for the planes within 10 years.
Earlier at a meeting with French business leaders on Jan. 28, President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran is open for investment, adding that his Paris visit was aimed at reviving business ties.
One week after the removal of international nuclear related-sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Rouhani arrived in Italy for the first leg of his European tour on Jan. 25, which wrapped up Jan. 27 by signing of a raft of deals.
Rouhani said at the start of his visit to France that the Islamic Republic is ready to welcome foreign investors adding there are no more obstacles to investment in Iran.
The pragmatic president's visit came just a week after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/ nuclear deal) that put an end to economic sanctions against Tehran.
In a joint statement on Jan. 16, the EU's High Representative Federica Mogherini and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced the implementation of the JCPOA and the removal of economic sanctions on Iran.
According to the statement, EU has confirmed that the legal framework, providing for lifting of its nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions, is effective.
The Iranian president led a 120-member delegation including ministers and businessmen during the five-day tour to Rome and Paris.
Earlier on Jan. 23, Iran and China signed 17 agreements, including on energy sector and boosting trade ties to $600 billion following the removal of sanctions.