The Iranian foreign minister says Iran is looking for 75 billion dollars of investment in its petrochemical industry.
On a trip to Japan, Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran’s petrochemical industry is a “lucrative investment” for Japanese investors.
Zarif added that Iran is looking for 100 billion dollars of foreign investment in its oil and gas sector.
International sanctions on Iran in recent years had steered foreign investment away from Iran, but the interim deal reached with world powers in Geneva last November has opened the door to greater international trade with Iran.
Meanwhile, the Japan Times reports that Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has urged his Iranian counterpart to make serious efforts to finalize an agreement with Western powers over Iran’s nuclear program.
“I believe that there is huge potential in bilateral relations. And to elevate that relationship, a solution to the nuclear issue is essential,” Kishida was quoted as saying.
Zarif emphasized the difficulties in reaching a final agreement, noting: “A final agreement is more difficult and easy at the same time. It’s easier because the ice is already broken. . . . It’s more difficult because we need to deal not with a temporary solution but with a more permanent solution. It’s not something that could be reached in one meeting.”
The interim deal, which was implemented in January, anticipates a final deal within six months.
