Tabnak – As Iran is keen to explore the economic opportunities provided by the nuclear deal to improve its economic situation, European countries have been raised as favorable partners. Recent visit by a delegation of the European Union to Tehran was primarily aimed at building upon the current economic and trade opportunities.
A 70-strong delegation of senior European officials and business leaders is in Tehran to examine capacities for further expansion of trade ties. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan is heading the team which also includes 25 senior political officials, Mehr News Agency reported.
The group arrived in Tehran Saturday to participate at a conference of Iranian and EU entrepreneurs, especially those active in agriculture, food industry and rural development.
According to IRNA, the visit may lead to the opening of an EU trade office in Iran if the group arrives at a positive assessment of capacities in the country. That would facilitate exports of Iranian agricultural produce to Europe given the impediments which currently exist on their way.
In the same vein, Iran’s Government Spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht on Saturday described investment as a major issue for the country’s development, saying that foreign investment has increased by ten-fold in Iran following the 2015 nuclear deal reached between Iran and six world powers.
Referring to over 13 billion dollars of foreign investment made in the country last year, Nobakht said that given the mechanisms the US administration has adopted, bleak prospects are currently surrounding international economic ties but the situation can improve in future.
For his part, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development said that the agreements signed between Iran and the European Union this year are worth 10 billion euros.
Regarding the present engagement between the EU and Iran, there is a positive view about the future of relations and further enhancement of ties, Hogan said, speaking to reporters at a Tehran hotel Saturday evening.
The Union wants to encourage the US Congress to accept that the Iran nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was the best approach, he said.
The EU is hopeful and committed to further remove obstacles to prepare the way for the achievement of goals, Hogan said. The EU commissioner also said that the block, over the past year, has used opportunities created after the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal to achieve win-win goals.
The EU official also vowed to make efforts to help resolve banking problems hampering Iran’s foreign trade with the 28-nation bloc. The banking problems are related to major European banks, he said, adding that Iranian banks also need to reach the world’ latest standards.
It should be noted that the nuclear agreement terminated all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran. However, Iranian officials have complained about the failure of the other side, especially the US, to fully implement the accord, as Iran still has problems in its banking transactions with other countries.
