TEHRAN - In a meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Valiollah Seif, the visiting President of the French Parliament's National Assembly (lower house), Claude Bartolone, announced his country’s readiness for the expansion of banking cooperation with Iran, the portal of CBI reported.

The top French lawmaker, who arrived in Tehran late on Monday, said that high-ranking French officials are fully aware of potentials and capacities of Iran, making an all-out effort to expand ties with the Islamic Republic. 

The Iranian bank governor, for his part, underscored the vitality of boosting bilateral banking relations and called such ties the prerequisite for enhancement of mutual economic cooperation. 

“Italian, Austrian and German banks have developed cooperation with Iran in the post-sanctions era but the French banking system has been very cautious about improving bilateral relations with its Iranian counterparts,” Seif added noting that three branches of Iranian banks have currently received the required permits to start their activities in France. 

According to Seif, during the recent visit paid by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Paris and related negotiation on expansion of bilateral banking relations, both sides seek for seizing the proper ground set for  development of mutual ties. 

In his Tuesday meeting with Rouhani, Bartolone said the French National Assembly will back efforts by big French banks for transactions with Iran and also making investment in the country.

He also said during the nuclear negotiations the French parliament strongly supported the talks and today is seriously pushing for a full implementation of the agreement by all sides.

HJ/MA