Tehran, Iran, June 20
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iranian Minister of Transport and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi that said during his recent trip to France, two French ministers of transport and housing have expressed willingness to start new relations with Iran.
Expressing happiness over the talks he held with French counterparts while in Paris, Akhoundi said France has a friendlier approach to Iran than has previously been discerned, Iran's presidential website reported June 20.
Akhoundi had earlier said that considering the unfriendly approach adopted by Paris on Iran's nuclear case, Iran was considering putting the European country out of its business list.
He had warned France was going to lose worth $80 billion if not showing a friendlier face.
France is a member of the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) engaged in talks with Tehran on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
French companies have even conducted preliminary studies on the Iranian market and they have prepared to enter business with Iran, Akhoundi said.
The official said there are plans to develop the Imam Khomeini Airport into an aviation zone, where Iran would welcome French companies.
"The Iranian civil aviation fleet is going to be renewed where 400 aircraft are to be bought. Increasing the number of flights to France is also needed," he said.
He said preparations have been made to invite French business delegations to Iran in a course of two months in order to explore ways for the two sides to conduct business.
Iran's aviation industry has suffered greatly under economic sanctions, where the purchase of airplanes or their parts, as well as services related to their maintenance are forbidden for Iran. The average life of airplanes currently used in the country is about 25 years.
Iran recently bought 10 second-hand aircraft via an Iraqi proxy. Bu the US Treasury said the airplanes would be confiscated because they had been purchased in contempt of the sanctions.
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