A delegation comprising the Italian ambassador to Tehran and the port authorities of Italy met on Monday with the chairman of the board and director of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), and demanded expanding mutual collaboration between the two countries in the post-sanction era.
Expressing his interest in cooperation with IRISL, Zeno D’Agostino, the head of Italy’s ports and shipping organization, stated that the volume of Iran-Italy trade will increase, and Trieste port will play a paramount role in Iran-Italy trade, according to IRISL official website.
Noting that Trieste Port transported 75 million tons of cargo and 0.5 million TEU containers in 2015, he said that with its exclusive container port, the Italian port offers the investors two opportunities for terminal operations and for bunkering.
This port possesses the top rank among the petroleum ports worldwide, D’Agostino said.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Saeedi, the chairman of the board and director of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines enumerated the capabilities and the capacities of IRISL, and the conditions and the qualities of IRISL’s activities during the sanctions era.
He also deemed the post-sanction conditions as a golden opportunity for shipping lines to expand their ties and extend their activities.
With the lifting of the sanctions, the IRISL fleet is fully prepared to transport, import and export goods to and from European ports directly, Saeedi said.
Moreover, he referred to the fact that IRISL possesses the largest bulk fleet, stressing that currently, Iran exports various petroleum products to Europe, through re-exporting from Turkey.
He speculated that the Iran-Europe cooperation in the post-sanction era will reach an approximate turnover of 10 billion Euros.
In the course of the meeting, both parties emphasized the capabilities of joint activities in the fields of container transportation and fuel with the lifting of the sanctions.
