In his meeting with Sweden's Minister of EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde, Nahavandian stressed Iran’s plans for attracting the maximum volume of foreign investment, adding “Iran and Sweden can boost cooperation in various economic fields such as energy, rail transport, information technology and environment.”
He also highlighted the significance of facilitating banking transactions between the two countries, and suggested the opening of branches of Iranian banks in Stockholm which was received enthusiastically by the Swedish official.
Ann Linde expressed her country’s keen interest in expanding relations with the Islamic Republic in all areas, saying “developing economic cooperation with Iran is highly significant to us and we are deeply interested in finding solutions that would bring the two countries closer than before.”
The Swedish trade minister welcomed Nahavandian’s proposal on opening branches of a number of Iranian banks in her country, saying “Sweden has adopted a new policy for increasing its level of transactions with other countries, and in this regard, it fully welcomes Iran’s suggestions for further development of bilateral ties.”
Also on Friday, Nahavandian met with Swedish Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson, where the two sides stressed the necessity of taking effective and practical measures in facilitating economic relations between the two countries.
“Many companies in Sweden are eager to develop ties with Iran and are pressuring the government into providing the necessary conditions for such transactions,” Andersson said, noting her country’s resolve for developing ties with Iran in both political and economic fields.
Welcoming the idea of having Iranian banks starting their activities in Sweden, she said “there are ample opportunities for investment and joint cooperation between the two sides that we are seriously considering. At the same time, we will also consider the Iranian side’s proposition for opening branches in Stockholm.”
Nahavandian also met with members of the International Council of Swedish Industry (NIR) where he called on Swedish companies to get more engaged with Iran’s private sector, and the Swedish officials discussed investment opportunities in Iran’s various industries.
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