Japan and Iran are reviewing the current state of bilateral trade and investment, among other topics, during talks in Tehran during June 6-7. Platts quoted a Japanese foreign ministry official as saying Monday that the talks are part of working group sessions under the Steering Committee of the First Japan-Iran Cooperation Council. The council was agreed to be launched in October last year. The latest talks come after Japan and Iran signed a bilateral investment treaty, which is designed to protect investments by Japanese companies across various sectors of the Iranian economy, in February, when the two countries also signed Tehran’s debt guarantee of up to $10 billion of investments by Japanese companies. The treaty is seen as a tailwind for Japanese companies considering investments, including midstream petroleum businesses, in the Islamic Republic, a source at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said earlier. Possible Japanese investment in Iran could include petroleum, natural gas resource developments, refinery upgrades, petrochemical plants and distribution systems, according to industry sources.
