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Tehran-Paris Stress Trade Ties
Iran has potentials for economic cooperation with the European Union in
general and France in particular.
On 20 January 2004, Iran’s Commerce Minister, Mohammad Shariatmadari, headed a
100-man trade delegation on an official four-day visit to France to examine
ways of promoting Tehran-Paris economic cooperation. During his stay, he and
his entourage held meetings with a number of senior French economic and trade
officials, including Foreign Trade Minister Francois Loos, and concluded a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) on mutual economic cooperation.
Seventy managers from Iran’s manufacturing and export institutions—grouped
in 16 teams—entered
into negotiations with their French counterparts on issues of mutual interest.
The group of Iranian industrialists represented different economic and
industrial sectors, which deal with the technical, engineering, banking,
insurance, steel, food, and hand-woven carpet industries as well as
information technology, exhibition, free trade and industrial zones,
machinery, cosmetics, mineral, pharmaceutical, hospital equipment, marine and
railway industries and vehicle related services.
Shariatmadari also met with French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry,
Francis Mer. Mer welcomed the Iranian delegation saying that the developments
in Iran bode well for expansion of ties between Tehran and Paris. Paris sees
no obstacle in strengthening bilateral trade ties he said, adding “the visit
to Paris by the Iranian Commerce Minister is the right step in bolstering
relations.”
For his part, Shariatmadari briefed the French Economy Minister on policies in
lessening the role of government in the Iranian economy, ceding the
state-owned enterprises to the private sector and other structural adjustments
in the economy in the past several years. Implementing investment and tax
reforms, unification of foreign currency rates, modifying import and export
laws, amending tariff regime and provision for establishing private banking
system were also cited as examples of other economic policies adopted by the
government.
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The volume of joint economic ventures between Tehran and Paris stand at
around $50 billion within a period of 5 to 7 years. |
Iran’s cooperation with the three European countries on atomic energy has
prepared suitable grounds to expand all-out economic relations. “Iran has
potentials for economic cooperation with the European Union in general and
France in particular. Political resolve exists in France to expand all-out
ties with Iran and this will for the promotion of relations with Iran was
quite clear in my talks with senior French officials. With respect to the
activities of French companies in Iran in the past, we think the volume of
joint economic ventures would stand at around $50 billion within a period of 5
to 7 years. Currently there are suitable opportunities for of Tehran-Paris
cooperation in telecommunications, aeronautics, and oil and gas sectors,” the
minister said.
Upon his return, Shariatmadari termed the outcome of his talks with French
economic officials as positive and said the two countries signed a memorandum
of understanding to promote bilateral trade ties and cooperation. He noted
that the MoU stipulates providing facilities to investors in various areas of
transportation, communication, advanced technologies, housing and urban
development, tourism, agriculture and fishery, medicine and pharmaceuticals,
construction of power plants, energy and oil. The necessity of settling
problems that companies and trade organizations of the two countries are
currently faced with and France’s support for Iran’s membership in the World
Trade Organization were among other issues mentioned in the MOU.
Shariatmadari’s visit was in response to the recent visit to Iran by the
French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Francois Loos. The agreement on
joint investment, signed during Loos’ visit to Tehran, has been ratified by
Majlis and approved by the Guardian Council in the shortest possible time
through close follow-up of the Commerce Ministry.
The exchange of visits between Iranian and French trade delegations has
provided the financial institutes and trade companies of both states with the
opportunity to consider prospects of serious cooperation with one another.
Significant developments including foreign trade facilities, revision of
export and import laws and unification of hard currency rates have taken place
in the field during the six-year presidential term of President Mohammad
Khatami.
Lifting the license requirement for import of goods as well as legitimizing
opening branch offices in Iran by foreign banks and insurance companies are
also among the reforms materialized in the country during the specified
period; and the revisions made in tax laws applicable to private companies and
real entities effectively reducing the tax exacted from 65% to 25% can be
cited as some of the measures taken in the field of trade.
During his visit the Minister also toured several major French industrial
units and met with a number of Iranian expatriates residing in France who are
currently involved in trade and industrial activities, as well as inaugurating
a carpet exhibition. The carpet exhibition entitled ‘Carpet Art, Iranian
Culture’ officially started its activities here on 21 January 2004 in the
presence of Iran’s Commerce Minister, Mohammad Shariatmadari. A number of
other Iranian and French officials, as well as Iranian carpet industry
officials, managers of French business firms active in the field of carpets,
and Iranians living in France were present at the opening ceremony.
The Iranian carpet exhibition, in which a collection of the most precious
Persian carpets are put on display, is cosponsored by Iran’s Ministry of
Commerce, the Iran Carpet Share Company, and the Paris Chamber of Commerce and
Industries. The ‘Carpet Art, Iranian Culture’ exhibition, which aims at
upgrading the cultural and commercial status of the Iranian carpet industry in
Europe, was open to public for five days at the Paris Bourse Center.
Iranian carpets—as one of the manifestations of the ancient Iranian arts,
culture and civilization—have always attracted the attention of the
culture-loving Europeans, as well as those in other parts of the world, and
has added to the beauty of their homes. |
