 |
A
gathering on promotion of cooperation for auto part makers is scheduled to
be held in Paris by the end of May 2003. The gathering aims to further
strengthen cooperation between the two sides’ auto part manufacturers. |
Visiting French Minister
for Foreign Trade, Francois Loos, conferred with the Minister of Industries
and Mines, Esshaq Jahangiri, on bolstering economic and industrial cooperation
between the two countries. Referring to ongoing mutual cooperation in auto
industry, cement, foodstuff and machinery, Jahangiri called for expansion of
such cooperation.
Despite Iran’s very high
capability in the mining sector, French companies are not active in this
sector and recent economic developments have prepared grounds for the presence
of French companies in Iran. France should not consider Iran as a consumer
market; rather it should look at it like as a potential partner. In this
regards Jahangiri said "we have reached a level of economic cooperation which
needs to be further deepened and consolidated".
To implement economic
reforms, it is proposed that France should help Iran promote its non-oil
exports. Tehran and Paris are now studying exports of vehicles and auto parts
from Iran to France. A gathering on promotion of cooperation for auto part
makers is scheduled to be held in Paris by the end of May 2003. The gathering
aims to further strengthen cooperation between the two sides’ auto part
manufacturers.
Loos, for his part, said
that French companies do not consider Iran as a mere consumer market and
reiterated that most members of the delegation accompanying him are engineers
and investors. Auto industry constitutes about 40% of French exports; and it
is hoped that the existing trade cooperation between the two countries would
expand to a satisfactory level that benefits both sides.
Iran Khodoro Marketing:
Loos said that Iran’s car manufacturing giant, Iran Khodro’s output of 300,000
cars per year is a point of surprise, prompting France to enter into joint
venture with the corporation to upgrade the standard of its products.
Following a visit to Iran Khodro complex, Loos stated that the company has
managed to reach global production standards for an output of more than
300,000 cars per year, which is expected to rise by 50% to 450,000 this year.
Meanwhile, Iran Khodro Managing Director Manouchehr Manteqi stressed the need
to expand industrial and economic cooperation between his company and France.
