Iran inks economic agreements in Finland, Poland

Iran has struck a number of economic agreements worth some 1.2 billion dollars during an Iranian delegation’s trip to Poland and Finland, says an official.

Mohsen Jalalpour, head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture told the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday that Iran’s economic delegation signed 50 agreements; 30 in Poland and 20 in Finland, in different sectors.

The agreements were either in the form of contracts or memorandums of understanding (MoUs), added the official, noting that some $700 million worth of deals were inked in Poland and the rest were sealed in Finland.

Jalalpour said the agreements in Poland mostly involved economic cooperation over power plants (worth $240mn) and fisheries (worth nearly $200mn).

He said the $500mn deals in Finland were sealed on information and communications technologies (ICT) as well as industrial machineries.

The agreements were reached during the European tour of Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif, whose visits are aimed at developing energy ties, joint investments and the exchange of trade delegations among others.

Zarif arrived in Warsaw on Sunday on the first leg of his official European tour at the head of the 60-strong politico-economic delegation.

Official data shows the value of Iranian exports to Poland stood at $13 million while the imports were at $13 million in the first five months of 2015. Polish officials say trade between the nations could rise within a few years to one billion dollars.

Iran’s top diplomat is also due in Sweden and Latvia for more economic exchange on the final leg of his latest European trip.