Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 3
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
International banks remain skeptical over establishing ties with Iran due to their lack of information, a senior Iranian official said.
Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Valiollah Seif has said that there is no obstacle against expansion of banking ties with Iran as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/ nuclear deal) and the announcements by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury have transparently stated the authorized fields for banking cooperation with Iran, CBI official website reported.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which is a part of US Department of the Treasury on Oct. 7 released new guidelines for dealings with Iran, aimed at loosening restrictions on the country’s ability to trade in US dollars.
At a meeting with visiting Cypriot parliament Speaker Demetris Syllouris in Tehran, Valiollah Seif called for the expansion of bilateral banking ties between the two countries and said there is a vast area for cooperation.
Although the nuclear related sanctions on Iran were lifted following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on January 16, Iran still has difficulty establishing banking ties with leading banks as they are worried about running afoul of US regulations.
The CBI, however, held talks with European banks in February and March aimed at removing obstacles against establishing banking ties.
As a result of the talks several European banks including the central banks of Italy, Austria, the Netherlands in the EU and central banks of India, China, Korea and Turkey in the Asia have established proper ties with Iran, Valiollah Seif said.
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