Italian Minister of Economic Development Federica Guidi said the upcoming visit to Iran by an Italian delegation is aimed at finding opportunities for resumption of economic cooperation.
“The Italian delegation is to hold talks with Iranian officials to recognize priority areas aimed at resumption of economic and trade cooperation,” the Italian minister said on Monday.
Speaking to IRNA, Guidi reiterated that Italy is keen on restoring friendly ties with Iran.
“Italy enjoys a historic relation with the Islamic Republic of Iran and was the first economic partner of Iran before imposing sanctions against Tehran,” she added.
Guidi also expressed the hope that her visit to Tehran would pave the way for fruitful cooperation between the two countries.
Guidi and Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni will arrive in Iran on an official visit tomorrow.
During their two-day trip, Gentiloni and Guidi will meet with a number of Iranian officials including Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh.
They will be accompanied by a high-ranking delegation of Italian economic activists and representatives of various Italian firms interested in making investments in Iran.
Managers and representatives of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association, General Confederation of Italian Industry, companies working in the field of electricity, highway construction, and road-building are among the delegation members.
Senior managers of SACE (state-run credit insurance company), reputable banks, car manufacturing companies, ENI oil company, and other firms working in the fields of medicine, water, power, energy, oil, gas, and petro-chemistry will also be part of the delegation.
Italy used to be a major economic partner of Iran, and is now trying to regain its position in the Iranian economy.
The visit will come as part of a new wave of renewed interest in ties with Iran after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14 reached a conclusion over the text of a comprehensive 159-page deal on Tehran's nuclear program.
The comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the six powers would terminate all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran after coming into force.
Experts believe that Iran's economic growth would rise remarkably after the final nuclear deal takes effect.