On the even of his visit to Iran, the Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told Iranian reporters at Italy’s Foreign Ministry that Iran’s nuclear agreement reached on July 14 in Vienna will compensate for the weakened ties due to the economic sanctions against Tehran.
“Italy’s economic ties with Iran have definitely suffered during the sanctions era, but the recent nuclear agreement will serve as an opportunity for a gradual improvement in the two countries’ relations,” said the Italian diplomat.
“The important thing here is partnership not merely a boost in mutual trade transactions,” said Gentiloni while stressing that Italy would be a trustworthy partner for the Islamic Republic.
The Italian senior official said his country aims to return to a pre-sanctions economic situation with Iran, adding “the Vienna agreement is a source of great hope for us, either from an economic standpoint or from political dimensions. We are hopeful that the nuclear deal will allow us to expand our relations with Iran in order to preserve stability in the region.”
Noting that Europe is keen on pursuing a positive evolution in crisis-stricken regions of the world, Gentiloni added “we do not wish for the continuation of tensions and conflicts in Libya, Yemen or Syria; rather, we seek to become a joint front against terrorism. We are keen on cooperating with Iran to maintain stability in the region.”
Following the recent historical nuclear accord between Iran and the 5+1 group of countries, Italy is seeking to regain its position in Iran’s economy. To this end, the Italian government is sending an economic delegation headed by Italian Economic Development Minister Federica Guidi and Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni to Tehran in a bid to take its first serious steps toward regaining a prominant position in Iran’s market. The Italian delegation are to arrive in Tehran today.