Italian Prime Minister to Visit Iran with a Delegation of 250

Matteo Renzi, the Prime Minister of Italy, will travel to Iran for an official visit on Tuesday, April 12 and 13 (24 and 25 Farvardin). According to the Italian Prime Minister's office, a delegation of 250 people will accompany him, including representatives from companies active in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. This visit marks the first trip by a head of government from a major European country to Iran following the nuclear agreement. The discussions during the visit will include topics such as purchasing oil from Iran, developing Phase 11 of the South Pars gas field and the Darquain oil field, signing a one billion euro memorandum of understanding in the petrochemical sector, investing in the North Pars project in Bushehr, and cooperation in the refining sector. Renzi's visit follows Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Italy last February, during which 14 cooperation documents were signed in transportation, railways, industrial cooperation, education, trade, and agriculture, valued at approximately 17 million euros. Additionally, a 310-member Italian economic delegation visited Tehran last February to hold meetings with Iranian trade partners and economic officials. Italy was one of the first European countries to quickly resume economic relations with Iran following the lifting of some international sanctions. It was also Iran's largest trading partner in the European Union before sanctions were imposed on Iran's nuclear program. Renzi's visit comes at a time when Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, criticized what he termed 'fruitless' interactions with Western parties about a month ago. Over the nearly three years of the 11th government, various trade and economic delegations from Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Turkey, and Belgium have visited Iran, and Iranian trade delegations have also made multiple trips to European countries. Iran has called for investment from European countries in various economic sectors, including the modernization of automotive and rail and air transportation industries. The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that the value of Italian exports to Iran in 2015 was about one billion euros.