The lifting of sanctions comes in exchange for Iran limiting its uranium enrichment capabilities, and allowing United Nations inspections to ensure that the country is not pursuing development of nuclear weapons.
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After starting his trip to Paris by meeting some 20 company executives, Rouhani is due to deliver a speech to business leaders on Thursday at a Franco-Iranian forum, where Iranian ministers will outline their plans. “Iran is ready for investments”.
Rouhani then hosted leaders of France’s business community in his Paris hotel soon after arriving Wednesday from Rome.
Pope Francis and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani engaged in a face-to-face meeting at the Vatican on January 26, 2016.
In a statement Wednesday with The Associated Press ahead of Rouhani’s arrival, Fabius said: “This visit, which we hope is successful, will allow us to address the global situation and regional crises where we hope Iran can play a positive role – notably in Syria and Lebanon – and our bilateral relations, particularly economic”.
The real business of the trip will come when Rouhani officially signals Iran’s intention to buy 114 passenger planes from European aircraft maker Airbus. Carmakers Peugeot (PEUP.PA) and Renault (RENA.PA) may also agree contracts.
Rouhani was also expected to meet with French President Francois Hollande during his visit.
The president is accompanied by a delegation of more than 100 ministers, officials and businessmen, eager to seal deals as Europe’s manufacturing and engineering sectors clamour to get into the Iranian market as it opens up.
Rouhani is on a five-day visit to Italy and France.
Italy has been mocked for covering up nude statues during the visit of the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Italian newspapers ran photographs of the boxes on their front pages and even the minister of culture called the decision “incomprehensible”.
Rome’s Culture Superintendency, a technical office under the Rome municipality which manages the cultural heritage of the Italian capital, said that it was not behind the move, according to ANSA news agency.
Rouhani said he agreed with the pope’s observation that insulting a religion could produce a violent reaction, like the Paris attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Tehran has provided military and economic aid to Assad’s government, which has been fighting a five-year war against insurgents. A spokesman said he had no information about whether Iran had asked for the statues to be covered.
The group, formerly on the US and European Union terror lists, was notably protesting executions in Iran. Those seeking to invest in Iran also face an antiquated and complex internal financing and banking system, another daunting hurdle. “The Middle East is a very sensitive, very delicate region”. Rouhani’s surprising landslide victory was a rebuke of hard-liners who rejected any overtures to the West and downplayed the effects of sanctions.
Rouhani’s comments, however, aren’t consistent with Iran’s practices.
To avoid offending the Iranian leader, authorities at the press conference with Rouhani and Renzi at the Esedra room of the Capitoline Museum opted to cover up classic nude statues with large white panels.
Decades of sanctions have starved the Iranian economy and isolated Iran.
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AJC France Director-General Simone Rodan Benzaquen said: “Last year, French President Francoise Hollande participated in a ceremony marking 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz”.
