FM Welcomes Belgian Firms’ Return to Iranian Market

(FNA)- Belgian companies are welcomed to return to Iran’s market, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said after the European country announced plan to send a trade delegation to Tehran in the next two months to study widening of ties and cooperation.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a stable and secure place for investment and the trade and private sectors of Iran, Belgium and the European Union can cooperate with each other,” Zarif said in a joint press conference with his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders in Tehran on Sunday.

He described the economic relations between Iran and Belgium as age-old and positive, and said the Belgian companies are presently active in Iran's railway construction and sugar-production plants projects.

“There now exists a good opportunity for the Belgian firms to return to Iran and find their position,” Zarif said.

Zarif's remarks came after a Belgian trade official announced earlier today that his country is due to dispatch a high-level trade delegation to Iran in the next two months.

“This trade delegation will arrive in Tehran in the next two months and the visit will last for six days,” Vice-President of the Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce Jacques Glorieux said in a meeting with economic experts of Iran's Northern Mazandaran province.

Glorieux said all those Belgian companies that see a possibility for running operation in Mazandaran province would be present in the upcoming visit of the Belgian trade delegation.

Following the implementation of Geneva nuclear accord struck by Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in November 24, the ground has been paved for more participation of the European countries in the Iranian lucrative market. Several European states have so far sent their trade delegations to Iran to study chances for widening trade ties and exchanges with Tehran, while more EU member states are preparing to send similar delegations to the Islamic Republic.

The largest of such delegations comprised of 141 French businessmen and traders who stayed in Tehran for several days earlier this month.

Also yesterday reports said that the US aerospace companies are seeking permission to sell airliner parts to Iran for the first time in three decades.

At least two leading manufacturers, Boeing (BA.N) and engine maker General Electric (GE)(GE.N), have applied for export licenses in a six-month window agreed by Iran and the six world powers in November, industry officials and other sources familiar with the matter said, Reuters reported.

If approved, the sales would be the first acknowledged dealings between the US aerospace companies and Iran since the 1979 US hostage crisis led to sanctions that were later broadened during the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities.

Also earlier reports in November said that the US oil giants are keen to get into the Iranian oil and gas sector before big European oil companies like French Total S.A. and Royal Dutch grab the chance.

The French Le Figaro also reported that General Motors Co. is planning to cooperate with Iranian vehicle manufacturer Iran Khodro Co. (IKCO).