A German delegation headed by Sigmar Gabriel Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and Vice Chancellor arrived in Tehran on Monday amid the consternation of some of Iranian officials for his Israel remarks back in Germany. Mr. Gabriel received only tepid welcome by Iranians and no notable Iranian government official including Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister and Ali Larijani, Parliament Speaker, received him.
On Tuesday, Gabriel left Tehran for Berlin, but his delegation continue trade visits in Tehran, including a meeting with Vailollah Seif, Governor of the Central Bank and Brigitte Zypries Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy on Wednesday morning, where Seif criticized European banks as well as governments for avoiding effective interaction with Iran’s economic sectors out of fear of retribution and fines by the US.
Mr. Seif told the German official that the EU should be more active in exerting pressures on the US to accelerate implementation of her share of JCPOA commitments. Seif added that Iran-EU banking relations were quite normal, however that US cautions and voicing concerns had made Europeans vacillate in fully engaging with Iran in trade and financial sector. “The status quo is far from satisfactory viewed by the Iranian public who had expected better conditions and improvements in the market and their economic status in general,” he told the meeting.
“In case of agreement with Airbus, the US has been reluctant to issue necessary permits allowing the deal, and only 17 out of 118 Airbuses have received permits by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while Boeing received permits for 80 planes to be delivered to Iran within years,” Seif emphasized as examples of the US sabotage of the financial transaction with Iran.
Central Bank Governor said he would see visit by German delegation optimistically and that it would be a turning point in bringing positive and hope-inspiring changes to bilateral relations. Mrs. Zypries for her part, believed that any improvement in relations with Iran hinged upon removal of sanctions; “the major barrier is no longer in place and now Germany and Iran are in the direct path to higher-level financial relations; my colleague is in Washington negotiating arrangements with the US officials to draw a general framework for relations with Iran and to secure US consent; within Iran as well, the conditions have turned for the better with declining inflation rate, improved investment conditions, and more open financial and banking cooperation, to make the country a magnet to attract investments and international participation in its economy,” She told the meeting.
“We predict a trade deal worth of € 2.3bn with Iran under process of signing; all this are barometers that relations are improving and all should contribute to betterment of the situation further,” Mrs. Zypries said.
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