Iran eager for German partnership in railway construction, renewable energies

 Head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce Gholam Hossein Shafeyee said Iran is eager for partnering with Germany in its railway construction and renewable energy projects.
"The Germans have good experiences in railway transportation and renewable energies that we can use under Iran's Sixth Development Plan," Shafeyee said in a meeting with a visiting German trade delegation in Tehran on Sunday.
He underlined that cooperation in the development of small industries, energy and the expansion of transportation, specially railway transportation and Central Asia's link to Iran and to the open seas are among the plans that Iran can follow up with the Germans, because "we believe that Germans have good experiences in this field".
"According to our information, the Germans have managed to change their energy consumption model from fossil fuel to renewable energies and we hope that the value of the two countries' trade exchanges will exceed $6 billion," Shafeyee said.
Germany is an important trade partner of Iran, but the two countries' trade exchanges have lowered in recent years due to the US-led sanctions against Iran.
In late October, Chairman of Germany-Iran Chamber of Commerce Michael Tockuss underlined that Berlin is resolved to bolster its trade relations with Iran irrespective of the results of the nuclear talks between Tehran and the six world powers.
"The present improving trend will continue even if there will be no change in the West's economic sanctions against Iran," Tockuss told reporters in Berlin.
He pointed to a 30-percent rise in the volume of Germany's exports to Iran, and said, "I am pleased to see that many German companies and producers are continuing their cooperation with their Iranian partners despite the sanctions imposed against Tehran."
Tockuss stressed that German firms and traders will continue expanding ties with Tehran irrespective of the results of the upcoming Iran-Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) talks, yet he said he is optimistic about the fruitfulness of the negotiations as both sides have shown interest in striking a final deal.
He further praised Iran's progress even under the toughest sanctions of the West, and specially praised the very positive and effective implementation of economic policies by President Hassan Rouhani in the last 12 months.
Tockuss described Iran's industrial infrastructure as its strong point in area of economy, and said, "Iran has made very good advances in dam construction, bridge construction and shipbuilding which are praiseworthy."
Tockuss concluded that Iran's successes are the result of the West's economic sanctions imposed against the country.