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April 13th, 2016 
Awake Goy TEHRAN (FNA)- Member of Confindustria Technical Committee for Internationalization and Foreign Investors Licia Mattioli said Italy has been the most important trading partner for Iran in Europe and Rome has no intention to reverse that trend.
Mattioli made the remarks during a meeting between Iranian and Italian trade delegations in Tehran on Wednesday.
“Iran is Italy’s first priority. The presence of 700 economic firms, 50 organizations, 20 banking institutes, and 1,200 traders in Tehran is an indication of how deep the relations are between Rome and Tehran,” she added.
She said her country is willing to resume bilateral relations and even cross the 7.2 billion euros in trade exchange, adding, “Italy and Iran were enjoying 7.2 billion euros worth of trade exchange before the sanctions. The figure dropped and reached just about 1.7 billion euros later.”
Referring to various important agreements that were inked between the two countries on Wednesday, Mattioli said the two sides have entered conditions in which they will face difficulties but should continue the way.
Confindustria is the main association representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy, with a voluntary membership of more than 150,000 companies of all sizes.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed that Tehran attaches great importance to its relations with Rome, and called for the rapid implementation of the agreements endorsed by the two.
“Iran attaches great importance to its ties with Italy, and Rome’s stances during the hard times of sanctions were balanced compared with some other countries,” Rouhani told reporters in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
He referred to the endorsement of 36 cooperation documents by both countries during his January visit to Italy and Renzi’s current visit to Iran, and said, “Implementation of these 36 documents can create a new path to develop economic relations between the two countries, specially in investment fields and importing new technologies from Italy to Iran.”
Noting that during his talks with Renzi, they officials also discussed regional problems, including in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Libya, he said, “During the negotiations, the two sides underscored their determination to fight against terrorism and send humanitarian aid, specially to the displaced and damaged people of Yemen and Syria.”
Renzi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday with a 250-strong political and economic delegation, making him the first Italian official in such capacity to travel to the Islamic Republic since 2001.
By Fars News Agency
Source Article from http://theiranproject.com/blog/2016/04/13/italian-trade-official-terms-iran-first-priority/
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