“Iran is the safest, the most stable country in the entire region”, Rouhani told an audience of Italian and Iranian business executives on his first overseas trip since the lifting of sanctions linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
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The elected political leader of the world’s fourth largest oil producer is eager to resume Iran’s commercial relationships now that worldwide nuclear sanctions have been lifted.
Mr. Rouhani had originally planned the visit last November, but postponed it in the wake of deadly terror attacks in Paris that month.
As the visit to Europe of the Iranian President got underway on Monday, Italy showed its respect for the traditions of Islamic traditions by covering up the Capitoline Museum’s racier exhibits.
This is the first stop for Hassan Rouhani on a five-day European trip which, it is hoped, will end in the signing of several major business deals.
The sheer size of Rouhani’s 120-strong delegation demonstrates just how much importance the Iranian reform-minded PM is giving to this visit as well, perhaps, as the high security risk a travelling Iranian leader faces. “It’s time to turn the page and open the door to cooperation between our countries in different areas”. Not only will China, an energy-starved economy, secure, to an extent, its energy needs, its long-term engagement with Iran will also eliminate any real or perceived hostility that Chinese operations at Gwadar port may encounter from Iran.
“We have had friendly relations with Italy and France in the past, and we want to continue our good relations with them”, he said. Coupled with a lack of strict regulations for the country’s major airlines, this has caused Iranian air travel to be among the most unsafe in the world, with fatal crashes occurring almost every year.
“We must reach an agreement on Syria”. Some 130 firms took part ranging in sectors from agriculture to construction and tourism to lay the groundwork for the first business accords between the two countries since the nuclear deal.
He added: “As in Afghanistan, Iran and Italy should work together for peace in the Middle East”. Infrastructure firm Condotte d’Acqua said it would sign deals worth up to 4 billion euros. The situation of Christians in the Middle East is likely to be discussed, as well as human rights. He’ll hold talks with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and meet Pope Francis on Tuesday in the Vatican.
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The agreement with Airbus may include the double-decker A380 superjumbo jet as well as the A320 family of aircraft, Iran Air Chairman and Managing Director Farhad Parvaresh said in an interview.
