Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 21
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran and France signed five agreements to boost cooperation in agriculture and food security areas.
French Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll signed the agreements in Tehran with Iranian Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati, Iran's IRIB reported Sept. 21.
The two sides discussed ways to cooperate in herbal and animal products, as well as technical and meteorological sciences.
French economic and political delegation arrived in Tehran on Sept. 20 to lay the groundwork for the first business contracts between France and Iran since an accord to curb its nuclear program in July.
Heading it up are Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll and Trade Minister Matthias Fekl.
In May 2014, Hojjati met with a group of agricultural industry owners coming from France.
During the meeting, Hojjati said his ministry has put the attraction of foreign investment top on the agenda in a bid to stimulate the country's agricultural growth.
The minister made clear that Iran and France could forge stronger cooperation in a whole host of agricultural fields, such as production of organic foods, animal husbandry and fish farming, modern irrigation methods and harvesting techniques.
The two countries can even bolster academic ties in the area of agricultural industries, biotechnology, nanotechnology as well as marketing, he added.
According to official statistics released by French Foreign Ministry, Iran's imports from France in 2013 fell to $558.22 million as compared to $1.66 billion in 2011.
Meanwhile, the Iran Customs Administration put Iran's non-oil exports to France and import from the country at $31.5 million and $571.2 million, respectively, in the previous calendar year, ended on March 20, 2015.
Edited by CN