Greek Prime Minister Visits Tehran
February 08 2016 - 09:10PM
Dow Jones News
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday became the first
Western leader to visit Iran since the lifting of trade sanctions
against the Middle Eastern nation, as Greece aims to become a
conduit between the European Union and Tehran.
"Greece will become an energy, economic and trade bridge between
Iran and European Union," the Greek prime minister said in
Tehran.
On Monday, Mr. Tsipras met Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who has already
made a European tour to sign a number of business deals.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on energy,
technology, commerce, tourism and construction, according to Greek
officials. Talks also focused on the importance of dealing with
Islamic State militants, improving stability in the region and
finding a diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict.
"Iran and its reintegration in the international community can
play a role in stabilizing the wider region from Afghanistan to the
Mediterranean," Mr. Tsipras said after the meeting with Mr.
Rouhani.
During the talks, Mr. Tsipras also stressed the need for a
reduction in the migration flows from Afghanistan and Pakistan to
Europe via Greece, according to Greek officials.
"Iran is ready to expand its cooperation with the EU and
Greece," Mr. Rouhani said.
Greece and Iran launched discussions to resume Iranian oil
deliveries to Greece in late January, when Iran's deputy petroleum
minister, Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, and other Iran officials visited
Athens.
Greece's largest refinery, Hellenic Petroleum, also agreed to
buy oil from the National Iranian Oil Co., marking the first sale
of Iranian crude to a European country since the lift of sanctions
after an agreement between the major world powers and Iran over its
nuclear program.
No Iranian oil has reached the EU since Western sanctions were
tightened in mid-2012 in response to Tehran's nuclear program,
apart from a small number of tankers delivered to Italy to honor
pre-sanctions contracts.
Over the weekend, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said his
country plans to eventually sell 300,000 barrels of crude a day to
European customers. Iran is trying to boost its oil exports by
500,000 barrels a day in the next few months, with much of the rest
going to Asia.
Just days after international sanctions were lifted last month,
the Iranian president had traveled to Rome and Paris, the first
European visit by an Iranian head of government since 1999, to
begin the process of deal-making and image rehabilitation.
After years of sanctions, Iran is eager to drum up foreign
investment, unlocking pent-up demand for investment in
transportation, energy and such durable consumer goods as
automobiles. Iranian consumers have largely been limited to Chinese
and Indian imports that dominated during the sanctions era.
The trip succeeded in reviving economic ties that had withered,
as Iran, Italy and France cut billions in business deals.
French and Iranian companies and government ministries signed
around 30 new business and trade deals. Those included an agreement
for Airbus Group SE to sell 118 commercial jets to Iran Air and for
oil giant Total SA to buy 150,000 to 200,000 barrels of Iranian
crude oil a day. About €17 billion ($18.5 billion) of deals were
also signed in Rome.
During his two-day visit in Iran this week, the Greek prime
minister was accompanied by a delegation of ministers and senior
government officials, as well as 30 business representatives.
The two nations signed a series of agreements aiming to upgrade
the two countries' diplomatic relations, including a memorandum for
political deliberations, an agreement on visa exemption for
diplomatic passports and a road map for the improvement of
bilateral cooperation.
Write to Nektaria Stamouli at nektaria.stamouli@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 08, 2016 20:55 ET (01:55 GMT)
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