Portugal is eager to encourage its companies to establish themselves in the Iranian market, the country’s deputy foreign minister said. “Portugal and Iran can cooperate in various areas and it is time to make it happen,” Jorge Costa Oliveira also said in a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Saturday, IRNA reported.
Zarif noted that Iran is making efforts to resolve its banking issues. “In addition to current measures, we expect to see more steps taken [by European countries] for this purpose so that companies and banks across the world can resume their transactions with Iran,” he said.
Among other potential areas for cooperation, Zarif mentioned tourism and language learning.
“Promotion of the Persian language in Portugal can be one way of expanding interactions between the two nations,” he said.
“The responsibility for promoting the Persian language outside Iran is upon Sa’di Foundation that is ready to start operation in Portugal.”
Oliveira welcomed the proposal for launching mutual language programs in the two countries.
