2 Iranian Banks to Reopen in London: CBI Chief
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Chief Valiollah Seif said on Sunday that two Iranian banks are going to resume activities in London.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in Tehran, Seif said it was agreed that two Iranian banks, including Bank Melli Iran, would reopen in London.
Describing London as a hub of financial transactions, Seif said the Iranian banks can gain good experiences in the British capital.
“We hope for a reduction of bureaucracy so that the two banks would resume their work faster” in London, he added.
Seif also voiced the Central Bank of Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the Bank of England (BoE).
The CBI chief further said Iran is ready to host foreign banks, saying there is no limitation on the presence of foreign banks in Iran’s free trade zones as well as their activities at different levels on the mainland.
According to Seif, the British top diplomat during the Sunday meeting called for cooperation between the stock markets of Tehran and London.
Hammond arrived in Tehran on Sunday morning to reopen the British embassy after a 4-year closure.
He held meetings with Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The thaw in Tehran-London relations comes against the backdrop of finalization of the text of a lasting nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
The promising prospect of trade with Iran has prompted many countries to explore the market potential in the populous Middle East nation.