Page 10 - bne IntelliNews Country Report: Iran Dec17

Tillerson has taken a different line to Donald Trump as to whether US participation in the nuclear deal, which dropped crippling international sanctions against Iran in return for Tehran agreeing to drastically scale down its nuclear development programme, should continue. Trump has sent the deal to Congress, warning that he will nix it if it is not altered to his satisfaction. Tillerson has said he does not see eye to eye with Trump over whether it would be a good move for Washington to withdraw from the deal. All other major powers around the world support the deal.
2.7 Politics - misc
For the first time in more than 25 years, an Irish business delegation is to visit Tehran. The delegates, travelling under the banner of government agency Enterprise Ireland, will arrive on November 27-28, the Financial Tribune reported on October 25. Ireland does not have a functioning embassy in Tehran, meaning all consular issues and services must be conducted via its embassy in Ankara. It does, however, have an honorary consul in the Iranian capital. The trade mission, to be led by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Pat Breen, will meet with Iranian government officials and business representatives. More than two dozen Irish companies hailing from sectors including education, aviation, life sciences and healthcare, are expected to take part in the visit. An Enterprise Ireland press release stated: “Ireland is a neutral country (like Switzerland, Sweden and Austria)... We are a member of the European Union [and] we are staying in the European Union, even if our neighbour the UK does not.” The Tribune cited Mohammad Reza Talaei, head of ICT for the Iran Chamber of Commerce Industries and Mining and Agriculture, as saying several Irish firms were interested in creating business ties with Iran. Earlier in February this year, Iran’s Aseman Airlines announced it would lease seven Airbus A320 Neos from Ireland-based Avolon leasing company.
The Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIM) has officially inaugurated a branch in London, Iran Student News Agency reported on October 4. The opening ceremony was attended by chairman of the British-Iranian Chamber of Commerce Lord Norman Lamont, the UK’s ambassador to Tehran Nicholas Hopton and Tehran Chamber of Commerce director Masoud Khansari. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the British and Iranian representatives on fortifying and expanding commercial ties. TCCIM includes several Tehran-based banks among its members.
2.8 Polls & Sociology
Iran slips for second straight year in World Bank Doing Business ranking
Conducting business in Iran has become more difficult for the second year in a row because of laws that hinder investment and conditions that mean setting up a new business usually takes even longer, the World Bank said on October 31 in its n ewly released Doing Business 2018 report.
Iran fell back four places to 124t h out of 190 countries in the rankings compiled for the report, placing it between fellow Persian-speaking nation Tajikistan in 123r d and Brazil in 125t h . In the Doing Business 2017 report , Iran slipped three
10 IRAN Country Report November 2017 www.intellinews.com