(Minews) - A 140-member delegation of French businessmen are due to leave Paris for Tehran to explore opportunities for economic cooperation as US-led sanctions against Iran are scaled back.
The businessmen are to be received at Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture on Monday.
The delegates, mainly from France’s car making, mining, industrial and commercial sectors, are to hold talks with Iran’s private sector businessmen and economic activists.
On Thursday, Iranian Minister of Cooperative, Labor and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei said 100 French companies are ready for cooperation with the Islamic Republic.
Last Wednesday, French carmaker Renault said it has resumed shipments to Iran for vehicle assembly.
On January 20, the European Union Council suspended part of its sanctions against Iran based on the Geneva nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and the six world powers (the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany), which was signed last November.
Renault and its rival Peugeot have shown willingness to resume joint activities in Iran with local partners, Iran Khodro and Pars Khodro, amid hopes of sanctions relief following the January 20 implementation of Iran’s nuclear accord with the six world powers.
Renault and Peugeot used to supply respectively about 100,000 and 458,000 kits a year for final assembly to Iran before they had to leave due to US-led sanctions.
Over the past two years, the production of the two carmakers has dropped by almost 50 percent due to the sanctions.
