TEHRAN- A 150-member trade delegation, comprised of senior officials and economic activists in various fields will leave the Italian province of Marche for Tehran on July 11 to confer on development of commercial ties with Iranian officials, Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPO) reported on Monday.

The 120 Italian companies present in the delegation are active in the fields of agriculture, food, furniture, interior designing, construction, renewable energies, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, tourism and cultural affairs and etc.

The delegation plans to conduct negotiations with Iranian officials as well as private sector representatives on the way to investigate possible opportunities for joint investments.

After Tehran, the Italians will take a trip to the northern Iranian province of Mazandaran to meet the same goals.

In mid-April, simultaneous with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s trip to Tehran, Iran and Italy signed seven cooperation agreements, bringing the two countries closer in cultural, industrial, and economic fields.  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Renzi and other senior officials from the two countries attended the signing ceremony.

In one of the memoranda of understanding, National Iranian Gas Export Company and Italian oil and gas company Eni agreed to establish their ties.

Other contracts were on automotive industry, tourism, renewable energy, airport construction, railways, and exhibition staging.

“Italy was Iran’s biggest trade partner in the European Union prior to the sanctions, and today we want the country to perform its previous role,” Rouhani said at a joint press conference with Renzi.

The Italian prime minister called for close economic interactions between the two countries, stressing that establishing banking links and opening credit lines are key to strong economic and trade flourishing. 

HJ/MA