Baku, Azerbaijan, June 18
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
France has expressed readiness to transfer its experiences regarding urban development to the Islamic Republic and will send three operational delegations to visit Iran.
The decision was made during a meeting of the visiting Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi with French Minister of Territorial Equality and Housing, Sylvia Pinel on June 18, Iran 's Mehr news agency reported.
During the meeting Akhoundi emphasized that Iran has used the French model for urban development and metropolitan divisions, adding grounds are prepared for a visit of French working groups to Iran to discuss the cooperation on the issue.
He expressed hope that the expert level talks between the two sides will start in next two months.
Iran has major plans for urban development, construction of mass housing and decentralization as well as public transportation, the Iranian minister said.
"We welcome the cooperation and exchange of experiences with various countries in this regard," he added.
Akhoundi is currently in Paris to visit the 51st Paris International Aerial Exhibition (June 15-21) upon invitation of his French counterpart. He has met with French minister of Transport, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Alain Vidalies and discussed the mutual cooperation capacities in terms of air, road, railway and sea transport.
Earlier he made a speech in International Diplomatic Academy of Paris warning France of losing transportation contracts with Iran with over-emphasizing points in the nuclear talks.
He said France is facing the threat of losing about $80 billion worth of contracts in Iran's transportation sector if it fails to change its stances in the ongoing Iran-P5+1 (the US, UK, Russia, China, Germany, France) nuclear talks.
The Iran nuclear issue will be settled sooner or later so France has to review its stances now, Akhoundi said.
The Iran- P5+1 nuclear talks are set to conclude in a final agreement by the self-imposed deadline of June 30.
Edited by CN
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