Chitchian told the First Iran-Germany Economic Commission that Iran and Germany have a long record of economic, commercial and industrial relations. Iran owes development of its industry partially to cooperation with the German companies and institutions. German companies are respected in Iran, he added.
Chitchian made clear that over the past few years due to sanctions, a visible recession was observed in Iran-Germany relations and the role of Germany in Iranian foreign trade fell drastically.
He said however that elimination of nuclear dispute related sanctions and the grounds available for cooperation, return of commercial and industrial relations to the former level is possible from every aspect.
‘All of us, either policy makers or government directors, banks, especially Iranian and German traders can play important to develop economic cooperation. Iranian and German officials in different sessions discussed various dimensions of expansion of economic ties.
He said that Iran is a market of 80 million, having access to market of 400 million population in the region, let’s say Middle East and Central Asia. ‘For instance in the oil and power industry, Iranian products and equipment and technical and engineering services are exported to about 40 countries.
The exports cover wide spectrum of products, including 11 billion kilowatts of power a year, establishment of big thermal, gas, wind power plants in other countries, implementation of power transfer and distribution networks, water and sewage treatment centers, power posts, different kinds of pumps, pipes and junctions. That’s so in other sectors as well.’
The Energy Minister is currently on a visit to Germany for a three-day visit and talks with the German officials. Iranian company MAPNA and German Siemens are to ink a contract for transfer of technology for manufacture of Class-F turbines.