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A French delegation has arrived in Iran to explore business opportunities as Tehran is opening up its economy to the international business amid West's partial easing of sanctions, official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
The French visit aims to explore ways to boost economic ties with Iranian traders and economic activists as well as paving the way for investment in Iran, the report said.
On Monday, the delegation with over 100 members held a meeting with members of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, as well as with the officials from Iranian key ministries.
The delegation, comprised of industrialists from auto-making and mining sectors as well as other entrepreneurs, is also scheduled to hold talks with other Iranian business officials, according to IRNA.
The visit follows the recent landmark interim nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers. The agreement eases some of the Western sanctions placed against the Islamic republic, leading business entrepreneurs and political leaders to scramble to establish relations.
Directors of the largest private-funded union of employers in France would travel to Tehran in early February to explore ways to invest in different fields of economy in Iran, the vice president of the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) Thierry Courtaigne announced earlier.
"We want to resume relations with Iran," Courtaigne said, adding that "We have already met with the French ambassador to Tehran, a number of French investors as well as the chairman of the Iran-France Joint Chamber of Commerce regarding the French delegation's travel to Iran."
French consultants, designers and investors would travel to Tabriz, capital of Iran's northwestern East Azerbaijan province, in the form of holding firms to implement urban projects, Iran Daily reported.
A visiting French group of consultants and designers expressed their readiness to collaborate on Tabriz Municipality projects, Tabriz Mayor Sadeq Najafi was quoted as saying. "Establishment of a tourism zone, recreational winter complex and Baghlarbaghi Park plan are among the projects discussed with the French delegation," Najafi said.
In the past months, delegations from Italy, Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands as well as the Republic of Korea (ROK) visited Iran in search for trade opportunities.
Following the deal signed between Iran and the P5+1 group including the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany, in Geneva last Nov. 24 to resolve the country's controversial nuclear program, the Islamic republic is seeking foreign investment in its diverse economic projects.
Under the deal, the United States and its allies have started to lift part of sanctions on Iran in the fields of petrochemicals, auto industries and civil aviation. They have also agreed to unfreeze part of Iran's blocked assets in western banks.
As an evidence of an ease on the financial sector of the country, Iran received 550 million U.S. dollars as the first instalment of its frozen assets in western banks, local media quoted the government spokesman as saying on Monday.
"From Monday, we have access to part of our frozen money, " Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht was quoted as saying by state IRIB TV.
The money had been deposited in Iran's account a few days ago, but it would be released for use on Monday, since the bank procedure couldn't be operated on European weekends of Saturday and Sunday, Nobakht said, adding that the unfrozen money is possible to be spent on some overseas purchases.
Unblocked money, the first instalment of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars in frozen assets, was deposited in a Swiss bank account as a part of nuclear deal between Iran and world powers clinched last year, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said.
