France to Facilitate Visa Issuance for Iranians
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault unveiled plans to facilitate issuing visa for Iranian nationals.
Addressing a high-profile business meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, Ayrault said France is trying to ease visa restrictions for Iranian nationals.
He said the French embassy in Tehran has been informed of the decision.
Ayrault, who arrived in Tehran on Monday night with a big trade delegation, was speaking to a meeting of Iranian and French business people, held at Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, and attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the French minister voiced his country’s willingness to establish “long-term cooperation with Iran” in the railroad industry, development of ports, and the energy sector.
He also unveiled plans for stronger academic ties with Iran, as well as economic cooperation in the automobile industry and clean energies.
The French diplomat stressed the need for removing barriers to financial relations with Iran, saying French banks have been encouraged to take a more active role in trade with Iran.
Following Ayrault’s speech, Zarif took the podium to highlight Iran’s readiness to enhance ties with France in scientific, cultural and political areas, as well as the fight against terrorism.
He explained that a whole host of advantages have made Iran a “reliable partner” for France in manufacturing joint products, saying the first series of Iranian-French joint products for both the local market and exports will be produced in the near future.
Stressing Iran’s support for the private sector, Zarif said a lot of foreign companies have shown enthusiasm for presence in the Iranian market since implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) that took effect in January 2016.
Zarif then warned that “unnecessary caution” exercised by some major European banks have reduced the efficiency of the JCPOA, but expressed the confidence that joint efforts with France, as a major partner, would facilitate the involvement of big banks in trade with Iran.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the two countries signed four agreements on development of an airport in Iran’s northeastern city of Mashhad, construction of a bioethanol plant in the western city of Kermanshah, and cooperation in the fishery industry and caviar production.
