Europeans Eager to Improve Trade Relations with Iran

Cultural Heritage News Agency:

A delegation of European Parliament to Iran expressed Europe’s eagerness to improve trade and investment relations with Iran.

Tehran, 8 August 2005 (CHN) – Iran has right now a 44 % rate of import from European countries and the European Parliament seems eager to increase that rate and develop investments in Iran.

In a recent visit to Iran, Professor Dr. Hans-Gert Pottering, chairman of the conservative faction EPP in the European Parliament since 1999, met with Alinaghi Khamushi, chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines, to talk of business and trade relations between Europe and Iran.

Dr. Pottering who is in Iran with a four-strong delegation, announced that the European Parliament is eager to invest in Iran and increase its imports to the country.

Pottering will succeed Josep Borrell Fontelles as President of the European Parliament in the second part of this parliamentary term, which is in 2007.

The delegation consists of German representatives, a country which according to Pottering has seen lots of economic fluctuations in the last couple of years, however, has had an increase of import-export relations with Iran.

Pottering believes that to take part in the Middle East market, Europe, in general and Germany in particular, should work on Iranian market, specially with regard to China, Korea, and Japan having successful wise moves in Iran.

Khamushi explained that despite Europe’s main role in energy projects of Iran they have not been that successful in other projects such as the underground system of Tehran and other major cities.

The international deputy of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Fereidoun Entezari, believes that business relations will surely improve if the Europeans do not pollute the economic issues with the political ones.