Iran has called for Italian
companies to participate in the implementation of the Islamic Republic’s
new projects in the mining industry sector.
In a meeting with the board members of Italy’s Fata industrial and
engineering group in Tehran, Mehdi Karbasian, the head of the Iranian
Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization
(IMIDRO), pointed to Tehran’s plans to implement new projects in mining
and metal industries, including aluminum, steel and copper, as well as
other non-metal industries, calling for the presence of European,
particularly Italian, firms in those projects.
Chairman of the Fata Board of Directors Ignacio Moncada, for his part,
said the company is keen to participate in aluminum and power plant
projects in Iran, and called for the setting up of working groups to set
the stage for cooperation in that area.
On February 22, an Italian business delegation, headed by Chairman of
the Italy-Iran Chamber of Commerce Rosario Alessandro, travelled to Iran
on a four-day visit to explore investment opportunities in the Islamic
Republic.
The delegation met a number of Iranian economic figures, including the
president of the Iranian Investment Organization and some officials at
Iran’s Industry, Mines and Trade Ministry.
They took part in a conference aimed at introducing economic, commercial and foreign investment potentialities in Iran.
In December 2013, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani expressed Iran’s
readiness to promote relations with Italy to the “highest level
possible.”
Rouhani described Italy as an important partner for the Islamic
Republic, adding that helping Italy meet its energy demands has always
been a top priority in Tehran-Rome ties.
Following her late-2013 visit to Iran, Italian Foreign Minister Emma
Bonino called on the West to avoid its past mistakes and seize the
opportunity to have dialog with Iran.