EU Office Would Facilitate Closer Cooperation

First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri said the establishment of a European Union office in Tehran would help develop relations between the two sides. Jahangiri noted that this issue is currently on the Foreign Ministry's agenda and is being studied, Tasnim New Agency reported. An EU delegation had earlier shown interest in setting up a European Union office in Tehran. Speaking at a meeting with EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan in Tehran on Saturday, the vice president also praised the desirable security condition in Iran and said the country can be a "reliable partner" of EU. "Economic cooperation between Iran and EU member states is age-old and almost all of the credible European companies have had an active presence in Iran's economic fields, including energy, industry and agriculture," he added. The EU commissioner said Iranian banks need to improve their standards to pave the way for increased trade ties. Hogan is in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking EU delegation that comprises 70 members, including some officials from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development as well as representatives of major European companies.