Italy Says Sanctions Never Halted Iran’s Nuclear Program

The Italian deputy foreign minister, Paolo Pistelli told a conference in Rome that the West’s sanctions against Iran never halted Iran’s nuclear program.

The sanctions had affected the Iranian economy, particularly its oil industry and foreign investment but they could never stop Tehran’s nuclear program, he said.

He also said Rome is waiting for the removal of sanctions that have been imposed on Iran so as to return to the country’s lucrative market.

He said a final comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran will turn the country into “a market everyone is waiting for”.

“Italy will have numerous economic opportunities in Iran in all categories of products,” Pistelli told the conference held at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI). “This is because we have a creative and productive economy”.

The official further emphasized that there is already a huge consumer market in Iran, adding that Rome is “very interested” in realizing when and how the new opportunities for businesses are created in the country.

On the same front, Licia Mattioli, the deputy director of the General Confederation of Italian Industry (Confidustria), has emphasized that Italy can compensate a loss of as much as €8 billion in exports to Europe once the doors to the Iranian market open as the result of the final nuclear deal.

“Undoubtedly, once the sanctions against Iran are removed, the Confidustria would immediately act [over investing in Iran],” Mattioli said.

Over a week of talks between top diplomats of Iran and the P5+1 in the Swiss city of Lausanne culminated in a joint statement on April 2 in which the sides said they had reached understanding over solutions to move ahead toward drafting a comprehensive nuclear agreement before June 30. A key point of Lausanne statement was a promise to lift a series of economic sanctions on Iran once the sides reach the final nuclear deal.

IRNA

R.S