Iran Finalizing Deals with France’s Airbus, Peugeot

The protest on Thursday by feminist group Femen was calling attention to the large number of executions in Iran.

His visit comes weeks after crippling economic sanctions on Iran were lifted, paving the way for the country to increase oil exports and further trade with the United States and EU. The possibility highlights continued suspicions between Iran and the West despite the recent agreement curbing Iran’s nuclear program that prompted the lifting of earlier sanctions.

The two said the French request followed on the USA imposition of new sanctions against Iran over the firing of a medium-range ballistic missile, a decision that took place on January 17.

Rouhani said at the start of his visit to France that the Islamic Republic is ready to welcome foreign investors adding there are no more obstacles to investment in Iran.

Mr Rouhani’s five-day visit to Italy and France is the first by an Iranian president in almost two decades.

Pierre Gattaz, head of France’s Medef employers association, said French national railway operator SNCF and aluminum company Fives were also expected to unveil deals.

After starting his trip to Paris by meeting some 20 company executives, Rouhani is due to deliver a speech to business leaders on Thursday at a Franco-Iranian forum, where Iranian ministers will outline their plans.

They proposed French President Hollande invite Rouhani to visit with him a local Holocaust commemoration site.

“As a top official for 37 years in the religious dictatorship in Iran, Rouhani is implicated in all the atrocities of this regime and as a result should be brought to justice for crimes against humanity”, she told the crowd. Suez Environnement Co. will work on water-treatment measures in Tehran, Sanofi signed an accord on health products and Total SA inked a purchase accord for Iranian crude oil.

Earlier, Rouhani referred to Iran’s bitter feud with regional rival Saudi Arabia, telling an audience in Paris that “some countries had wanted to use terrorism for their own means”.

PSA Peugeot Citroen announced a joint venture with Iran Khodro to produce latest-generation vehicles in Tehran by the end of 2017. During a stop in Rome, Italy, authorities covered nude statues and sculptures by white boxes as a sign of respect for Muslim traditions. The revamped factory, which opened about 50 years ago, will make Peugeot’s 208 hatchback, 301 sedan and 2008 crossover.

Another deal between Iran and Airbus envisages “comprehensive co-operation” inmodernization of the Iranian civil aviation sector, including the development of “air navigation services (ATM), airport and aircraft operations, regulatory harmonization, technical and academic training, maintenance, fix and industrial cooperation”.

Both CRIF and Habib opposed hosting Rouhani in Paris regardless of the date.

A French diplomat who spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the topic cited Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius as saying the European Union is considering possible new sanctions on Iran.