Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Travel of Iranian economic delegations to the United States is not banned, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian said, the Islamic Republic's Mehr news agency reported Jan. 19.
He made the remarks while commenting on the reports that say Iranian delegations have been scheduled to have a series of trips to the US to spur bilateral economic ties.
Nahavandian refused to dismiss or confirm the report however, he said that there is no ban for Iran's private sector to boost its dealings currently, or in the past.
"Of course in the new political atmosphere such kind of ties can also be formed," Nahavandian said.
"Anyway boosting economical cooperation is one of the Islamic Republic principles to overcome the sanctions and restrictions against investment in the country's projects," the official said.
After several years of suspending the travel of Iranian economic delegations, several delegations will pay visits to the UN and EU after March 2015, an Iranian-American source told Trend Jan.16.
Iran and the US have cut diplomatic ties since 1980, but bilateral trade has been going on within certain limits.
However, a senior US government official told Trend, "The US government has nothing to do with any visit of any Iranian trade delegation and does not encourage it or welcome it at the current time".
An American senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, added, "As we have said before, we do not believe that at the current time Iran is open for business."
According to Iran Custom Administration's latest report, Iran has imported about $110 million worth of goods from the US during the last nine months, indicating a 27.45 percent increase compared to the same period last year (Iran's fiscal year starts on March 21).
A visit by an Iranian economic delegation to the U.S., organized by Iran World Trade Center, took place three years ago when former Iranian president Mahmould Ahmadinejad was in office.
Edited by CN
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