Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Rome: Generating economic growth in the Middle East is crucial to defeating extremism, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, putting forward his country as a regional trade hub and pillar of stability.
Rouhani is on a four-day trip to Italy and France, looking to rebuild Iranian relations with the West some two weeks after financial sanctions on Tehran were rolled back following the implementation of its nuclear deal with world powers.
Italy announced some $18.4 billion (17 billion euros) of business deals with Iran on Monday. Mega contracts are also in the offing in France, reflecting EU countries' keenness to cash in on the diplomatic thaw with Iran.
Underscoring the growing warmth, Rouhani said he expected Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to visit Iran in the coming months to help boost bilateral economic alliances.
"We are ready to welcome investment, welcome technology and create a new export market," Rouhani told a business forum on the second day of his visit to Rome, saying Iran had ambitions to develop its own economy after years of curbs and hardship.
"Under the new conditions, we want to export 30 per cent of what we produce in Iran," he said, calling for rapid investment in "the most secure and stable country in the region".
Italy has rolled out the red carpet to Rouhani and his 120-strong delegation of business leaders and government ministers, seeing Tehran as a possible partner in the battle against IS militant group.
"If we want to combat extremism in the world, if we want to fight terror, one of the roads before us is providing growth and jobs. Lack of growth creates forces for terrorism. Unemployment creates soldiers for terrorists," Rouhani said.
"We are not looking at simple reactivation of our cooperation with Iran, but rather a comprehensive relaunch of a strategic alliance," Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told the business conference.
Among the deals signed on Monday were a $4 billion contract for oil services group Saipem, up to 5.7 billion euros in contracts for steel firm Danieli, up to 4 billion euros of business for infrastructure firm Condotte d'Acqua, 4 billion euros for rail and road company Gavio and 400 million euros for planes from Finmeccanica.
Industry Minister Federica Guidi told la Repubblica newspaper that the total value of the contracts could exceed the 17 billion euros initially indicated by the government.
Two large Italian business delegations went to Tehran soon after the nuclear deal was inked last year. Another such group is scheduled to visit Iran from February 8 to 10.
Pope Francis met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Vatican on Tuesday and urged Tehran to work with other Middle East states to promote peace and stop the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking in the region.
A Vatican statement spoke of the "important role Iran is called on to play, along with other countries in the region, to promote adequate political solutions to the problems that afflict the Middle East, combating the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking".
"I thank you for your visit and I hope for peace," Francis told the Iranian leader at the end of a 40-minute meeting in the pope's private study in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.
Rouhani, who wore a white turban and black robe, asked the pope to "pray for me". He then held separate talks with top Vatican diplomats.
It was the first state visit by an Iranian president to the Vatican since 1999, although former president Mohammad Khatami was among the many world leaders who attended the funeral of Pope John Paul in 2005.
Pope Francis has several times praised last year's deal that aims to curtail Tehran's atomic ambitions. He told the UN General Assembly last September it was "proof of the potential of political good will" in the international community.
