Iran, France underline strengthening economic ties

Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi and his French counterpart, Alain Vidalies stressed the importance of the development of mutual ties on various fields.

Akhoundi discussed mutual cooperation capacities in terms of air, road and sea transport during a meeting with Vidalies in Paris, Iran’s official IRIB news agency reported June 18.

Akhoundi referred to the increasing trend of flights in Iran saying it makes renovation of the Iranian air flee and the development of the country's airports inevitable.

In this line Iran plans to buy 400 new planes in ten years and increase flights to various countries including France, he added.

The French Transport Minister for his part welcomed the promotion of cooperation with Iran on air, road, railway and sea transport, while exploiting the Islamic Republic’s potentials on the issue. Vidalies also emphasized the support of Paris to French companies to restore and strengthen their trade relations with Iran.

The sides also emphasized necessity of increasing the number of flights between the two countries in a short term.

Akhoundi is currently in Paris to visit 51st Paris International Aerial Exhibition (June 15-21) upon invitation of his French counterpart.

On June 17 he made a speech in International Diplomatic Academy of Paris warning France of losing transportation contracts with Iran with over-emphasizing points in the nuclear talks.

He expressed regret that France lacked a strategic view towards Iran in nuclear talks and said French companies could lose the opportunity of striking a deal with Iran due to this factor.

He said France is facing the threat of losing about $80 billion worth of contracts in Iran’s transportation sector if it fails to change its stances in the ongoing Iran-P5+1(the US, UK, Russia, China, Germany, France) nuclear talks.

The Iran nuclear issue will be settled sooner or later so France has to review its stances now, Akhoundi said.

Iran and the P5+1 reached a mutual understanding on Tehran ’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2. The parties have agreed to finalize a comprehensive deal on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program by the end of June.

The deal stipulates the removal of all international sanctions on Iran in return to narrowing the range of Iran ’s nuclear activities.

/By Trend/