Schroeder, German Trade Delegation Due in Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will arrive in the Iranian capital on Sunday night at the head of a delegation of German businesspersons.
During his three-day visit, Schroeder is scheduled to hold meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, and Science Minister Mohammad Farhadi.
He will also meet with Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and the Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Valiollah Seif.
The delegation includes 27 representatives of German companies and businessmen, who will come to Iran in two groups.
The first group will be headed by Schroeder and is due to arrive in Tehran tonight, and the second one will be here on Monday.
He is making the unofficial visit as the honorary head of the German Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV).
Schroeder was previously scheduled to make the visit in November 2015, but his trip was postponed due to the demise of former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
The visit by the former chancellor at the head of such a delegation indicates how the European country’s firms are trying to compete with other Western companies in the lucrative market of Iran after the termination of sanctions against the country.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany – also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) on July 14 reached a conclusion on a 159-page nuclear agreement that would terminate all sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear energy program after coming into force.
Experts believe that Iran’s economic growth would rise remarkably after the deal takes effect.