Tehran to Host Iran-EU Business Forum

The Fourth Iran-Europe Banking and Business Forum will be held in Tehran on April 29-30.

The forum is going to focus on Iran’s achievements in various economic sectors, pinpointing their weaknesses and finding a solution to resolve trade barriers with foreign countries, along with introducing the significant investment opportunities in Iran, the Monetary and Banking Research Institute–the main organizer of the event–said in a press release.

Minister of Economy Ali Tayyebnia, Central Bank of Iran Governor Valiollah Seif and the head of Monetary and Banking Research Institute, Ali Divandari, will be among the keynote speakers.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is the special guest of the forum.

Iran’s Ambassador to Berlin Ali Majedi, along with other international and domestic officials and experts, is also on the guest list.

The main specialized panel of the event will assess the current state of Iran’s banking industry and specialized workshops held on the sidelines will discuss a number of issues, including banking supervision and international standards.

Reconnecting Iran’s banking system to global markets, introducing procedures for Iranian banks to establish new branches in Europe and tackling non-performing loans and banks’ debts are among other topics of the conference.

Announced on January 16, 2016, the Implementation Day that marked the beginning of a “post-sanctions” era for Iran reopened the country’s door to global markets.

Tehran has been hoping for a swift reintegration into global trade after its deal in 2015 curbed Tehran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Its failure to persuade western banks to accept its business has been one of the main choke points preventing its rehabilitation.

In addition to concerns over remaining US sanctions, banks are wary of business with Iran because of the high cost of ensuring that any transactions comply with international rules.