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Iran, Finland ink documents to boost mutual ties

26 October 2016 [16:30] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Gunay Hasanova

Iran and Finland voiced readiness to boost the bilateral economic ties as the two countries inked four documents to boost mutual cooperation.

The deals were signed following a meeting between Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto in Tehran on October 26, IRINN TV reported.

The signed documents include three MOUs for cooperation in energy, communications, and management of forests, as well as a cooperation document between the Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran and the official Export Credit Agency of Finland (Finnvera).

President Rouhani, addressing a joint press conference, stated that Iran and Finland agreed to connect their railways through Azerbaijan.

“We approved connecting the countries through the railways and we are going to connect Iran to Finland through Baku and Moscow,” Rouhani said.

He further added that the two countries also agreed to organize direct flights between Iran and Finland in the near future.

The president mentioned that Tehran and Helsinki can boost cooperation in several fields, including energy, transport, environment and agriculture, while both sides are willing to improve ties in tourism and banking sectors.

Regional issues, including the latest developments in Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Libya were also discussed, Rouhani said, adding that the two parties agreed to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy people in the region.

Rouhani added that the capacity of the Iran-EU relations in post-sanctions era also was discussed during the meeting.

“We underlined that after JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal) both Iran and the EU are interested in boosting relations in various sectors, including science, technology and trade,” the Iranian president said.

The two parties also expressed interest in expanding cooperation in issues of citizenship rights, human rights, fighting against drug-trafficking, terrorism and extremism, Rouhani said.

Heading a big trade delegation, Niinisto arrived in Tehran on Oct. 25. He was officially welcomed by Rouhani in Saadabad Historical-Cultural Complex on Oct. 26 morning.

The visit is aimed at taking major steps to develop trade relations between the two countries.

Back in May, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif paid a visit to Finland in a bid to find ways for expansion of the trade ties.

Tehran and Helsinki are attempting to rebuild the bilateral trade, having contracted from a high of $200 million in 2006 to a low of $23 million in 2014 due to the international sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program.

Following the removal of the international sanctions, Iran is seeking long-term, strategic economic ties with European countries in general, and Finland in particular, with a focus on joint investment in all economic, technical and executive domains. 

The environment, industry, information technology (IT), telecommunication, and modern technologies are among key cooperation areas Finland can collaborate with Iran.



URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/155496.html

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