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Ira, Italy enjoy historic relations: Analyst

Tuesday, 26 January 2016 10:11 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 26 January 2016 11:55 AM ]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) is welcomed by Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome on January 25, 2016. ©AFP

Press TV has interviewed Paolo Raffone, secretary general of the CIPI Foundation from Rome, on the impact that the expansion of economic ties between Iran and Italy could have on the international market.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: We just had 600 billion dollars worth of MOU signs between Iran and China just yesterday and now we have Iran’s president going to Italy and next to France, what type of effects would the world markets feel with Iran entering it with these types of financial transactions and of course with Iranian oil coming to?

Raffone: First of all, it’s a very welcome return of Iran on the international scene. Iran is going back to what is its natural position of a significant regional power.

Its economic capacity has been compressed over the past 10 years because of the sanctions system, now it’s just spreading out again. As for Italy, of course, this is a very welcome tie that is reinforced by economic agreements. The tie that exists since the time of Marco Polo...

So, the links between Italy and Tehran have never stopped as it was said and with these agreements can only expand. The effect of Iran’s return, of course in the world markets especially for the oil sector, has to be seen if Iran will be able to stabilize the prices or if these prices will still fall down.

This will depend by a number of other negotiations which go beyond the current visit here in Europe. On the Other side, of course is a dynamic that Iran is bringing to…troubled region of the Middle East with the fact that Iran is the largest manufacturer of automobiles for the entire region, is a country that has the only self-developed technology capable of being beneficial to the other countries in the region.

So, the return of Iran on the international scene cannot but be positive and a facilitator even for finding a peaceful solution around the region.

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