TEHRAN – Leading a delegation, Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian started his three-day trip to Berlin on Wednesday where he is slated to discuss economic ties with top German officials.

Chitchian met Sigmar Gabriel Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and Vice Chancellor of German on Wednesday, the IRNA news agency reported.

Managing Director of MAPNA Group, Iranian conglomerate, Abbas Aliabadi is also part of the delegation while the company is expected to sign a five-year contract with Siemens AG.

The deal would help Iran to apply the technology of building F-class gas Turbines, namely SGT5-4000F turbine.

During his visit, Chitchian is scheduled to attend a conference on Iran-Germany business cooperation on Thursday, followed by a ceremony held on Friday by the Economic Council to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).

The first consignment of Siemens to Iran after removal of the sanctions against the Islamic Republic arrived in the Iranian southern port of Assaluyeh on February 26.

According to an Iranian official, the consignment contained compressors and turbines which had been seized and kept in a port in the United Arab Emirates and also in the Netherlands during the past three years due to the sanctions imposed on Iran.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh met with Joe Kaeser, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens in Tehran on February 22 when he told Siemens it could start joint ventures with any Iranian company and export equipment to regional markets using the Siemens brand. 

Citing its engagement in Iran since 1868, Siemens said in a statement it wants to resume its activity in Iran especially in the energy sector and rail transportation.

Siemens stopped doing new business in Iran in 2010 but last month signed deals to work on Iran's railway infrastructure worth up to €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) in anticipation of Western sanctions against Iran being lifted.  

SJ/