Iran tries to lure German firms with “guarantees”
Published: Monday, August 18, 2008
12:00GMT—8:00AM/EST
IRAN – GERMANY – BUSINESS
Washington, 18 August (IranVNC)—In an effort to compensate for capital flight from Iran over its controversial nuclear program, Iran’s government is offering German firms “guarantees” on their investments.
“We will give them guarantees for their investments,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari told the Financial Times Deutschland [FTD] today. “We are open to all kinds of companies,” he added.
The German government came under fire last month after it approved a deal for the German firm Steiner to build three liquefied natural gas plants in Iran.
Germany’s Federal Office of Economic and Export Control determined after a 12-month investigation that the deal did not violate international sanctions imposed against Tehran, as its export material cannot be used for military aims.
But the deal drew sharp criticism from the U.S. and Israel, who have pushed for tougher sanctions against Iran over its failure to halt its uranium enrichment activities, which they fear have a military aim. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
Safari was quoted by AFP as saying that German firms could do business in Iran “without a lot of publicity.”
Earlier this month, German government spokesperson Thomas Steg cautioned German firms to show “sensitivity” with their dealings with Iran.
Germany is one of six powers leading negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. Iran has come under three rounds of United Nations Security Council sanctions over the disputed program.
Meanwhile, the Business Director of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Daniel Bernbeck, criticized the German government for failing to protect the interests of businesses, describing the government’s policy as a “political bankruptcy”.
“Berlin has not managed to use political instruments against Iran. Therefore it exercises illegitimate pressure on German firms,” Bernbeck told FTD.
Sources: Financial Times Deutschland in German, Agence France-Presse
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