Tehran - FNA
A senior German trade official urged Berlin not to miss the unprecedented chance of entering Iran's lucrative market, and said the oil-rich country's economy is large enough to help German companies overcome recent years' recession.
Chairman of the German Near and Middle-East Association (Numov) Rainer Seele expressed concern that his country could actually "miss the train" to Iran to sign trade deals in that country.
He went on to say that so many international competitors are taking much better advantage of their opportunities in Iran and are preparing for much bigger business agreements.
Therefore, German companies should also be prepared to make business deals in Iran, he added highlighting "positive (trade) prospects" in the Islamic Republic.
Seele pointed to the potential of economic cooperation between Iran and Germany, especially in the field of energy and mechanical engineering.
Iran and Germany have tried to expand their bilateral relations in recent years through reciprocal visits by the two countries' officials.
In July, Head of the Trade Development Organization of Iran Valiollah Afkhami Rad said implementation of the Geneva nuclear deal sealed by Iran and the sextet of the world powers late in November has provided very good opportunity for the presence of international investors, specially the Europeans, in Iran.
"Now a few months after the arrival of the first European delegation in Tehran, the attractions of trade with Iran have placed the European states in a marathon competition for trade partnership with Tehran," Afkhami Rad said.
Many European countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, are planning to enhance their economic relations with Iran, a business powerhouse in the Middle-East region, as sanctions imposed against Tehran are partially suspended.
"Optimism is predominating that there has finally been something of a relaxation in political relations and therefore in business possibilities," Head of Trade Relations at the Association of German Chambers of Commerce Volker Treier said in January.
The association invited the representatives of German private sectors to hold a meeting over doing business in Iran and the interested representatives “filled the room very quickly”, Treier added.
Dutch ambassador to Iran Jos Douma held a similar meeting in the Netherlands in January to discuss the terms of cooperation between Tehran and the Dutch companies which are eager to return to the Iranian market.