Iran's Share in Spanish Foreign Investment Portfolio Nil
October 19, 2000 - 0:0
MADRID Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, heading a 70-member group, will arrive in Iran next Sunday after concluding his visit to South Korea, an informed source at the Spanish prime minister's office told IRNA here. A team of 34 journalists will be accompanying Aznar in this official visit. Aznar set the date for his visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran during his meeting last month with President Mohammad Khatami at the UN headquarters in New York. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Pique, in a recent talk with IRNA here, termed Tehran-Madrid relations as "excellent" and underlined the political will of his country to further expand bilateral ties.
Spain is geared to revive its relations with Asia and to this end is exploring grounds for a stronger presence in this strategic region of the world. Although in the past three years Spain has been one of the largest foreign investors worldwide, Iran's share in its portfolio has been admittedly nil as Spanish investors refrain from bringing their money to Iran or at least are not encouraged to do so. According to information provided by the Spanish Economic Ministry, the country's net foreign investment in the world over the past three years amounted to $70 billion.
Although the overall amount of Spain's foreign investment in the current year has not been specified, figures for the first quarter of the current year indicate a positive trend toward expansion. Spain has made a 5-billion-dollar foreign investment in the first quarter of this year. However, Aznar's visit to Tehran, which begins next Sunday, is a step forward toward giving fresh impetus to bilateral relations between the two countries.
Given Spain's relatively moderate stance toward Iran and its new policy toward Asia, it seems that the country, as an active member of the European Union (EU), has the required potential for an expansion of bilateral economic ties with Iran. Hence, the Islamic Republic of Iran should work to get the fullest advantage from next week's presence of the Spanish prime minister in the country.
(IRNA)
Spain is geared to revive its relations with Asia and to this end is exploring grounds for a stronger presence in this strategic region of the world. Although in the past three years Spain has been one of the largest foreign investors worldwide, Iran's share in its portfolio has been admittedly nil as Spanish investors refrain from bringing their money to Iran or at least are not encouraged to do so. According to information provided by the Spanish Economic Ministry, the country's net foreign investment in the world over the past three years amounted to $70 billion.
Although the overall amount of Spain's foreign investment in the current year has not been specified, figures for the first quarter of the current year indicate a positive trend toward expansion. Spain has made a 5-billion-dollar foreign investment in the first quarter of this year. However, Aznar's visit to Tehran, which begins next Sunday, is a step forward toward giving fresh impetus to bilateral relations between the two countries.
Given Spain's relatively moderate stance toward Iran and its new policy toward Asia, it seems that the country, as an active member of the European Union (EU), has the required potential for an expansion of bilateral economic ties with Iran. Hence, the Islamic Republic of Iran should work to get the fullest advantage from next week's presence of the Spanish prime minister in the country.
(IRNA)