TEHRAN- Isaac Martin Barber, the general director of Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade says major Spanish companies are keen to invest in Iran in a wide range of sectors, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported.

Barber, along with Spanish Ambassador to Tehran Eduardo López Busquets, met Ali Ashraf Afkhami, the managing director of Iran’s Bank of Industry and Mine (BIM) in Tehran on January 12.

During the meeting, Barber said the most reputable Spanish companies are willing to invest in Iran in different fields of economy, such as transport, clean energies, tourism, and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Busquets called for reduction of current investment risks in Iran’s market, saying the trade between the two sides would drastically increase once sanctions are removed against the Islamic Republic.

With increased cooperation, he said, the two sides could work on bridging the current scientific and technological gap between them.

Afkhami, for his part, said Iran aims to start a set of infrastructure projects, offering Spain a great investment opportunity.

He said BIM intends to develop the European-Iranian trade banks, which there is currently only one in Hamburg, to other European countries.

Rebuilding the areas, damaged during the recent tensions in the Middle East, he said, requires joint business partnerships which Iran-Spain could be a part of.

In September, a 70-memebr Spanish trade delegation led by Spain’s Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism Jose Manuel visited Iran to study investment opportunities in the country.  

During the visit, the two sides mainly discussed cooperation in Tourism and transportation as the two sectors appropriate for expansion of economic ties.

Spain was the 22nd leading importer of Iranian non-oil goods in the previous Iranian calendar year (which ended on March 20, 2015), with importing $175.394 million of non-oil goods from Iran and exporting $184.693 million of non-oil goods to the Islamic Republic.  

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CAP: Isaac Martin Barber, general director of Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (2nd R) and Spanish Ambassador to Tehran Eduardo López Busquets (4th R) met Ali Ashraf Afkhami, managing director of Iran’s Bank of Industry and Mine (3rd R) in Tehran on January 12.