14 July 2016 – The Minister of Infrastructures and Transport Graziano Delrio and his Iranian Colleague Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi have inaugurated this morning at the premises of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport, the Italian-Iranian joint technical Committee for the development of infrastructure, building and transport sectors.
The bilateral Technical Committee on infrastructures, starts the technical and procedural implementation of the Agreements reached and of the several Memoranda of Understanding on infrastructure and transport sectors, that were signed in the previous bilateral meeting held between Italy and Iran.
“The meeting of today, marks a further step forward, after the first mission carried out in Iran in February this year, followed by the mission of Premier Matteo Renzi in May this year – stressed Minister Delrio– The good relations existing between our Countries, not only confirm the level of shared friendship, esteem and respect but are the proof of a friendship built on the basis of concrete projects. Now – Delrio added- we have moved to the implementation phase. There are important contacts in the airport, building, road and maritime sectors. We are developing what we had previously agreed: today we are finalizing the projects on railway sector and the agreement with Italian National Roads Authority (ANAS) for North-South Corridor No. 10. The bilateral friendship will be increasingly developed if based on concrete projects”.
Also Minister Akhoundi has reaffirmed the progress achieved in the bilateral relations: “After the agreement reached on nuclear power, President Rouhani made his first visit abroad to Italy”, the Iranian Minister Akhoundi reminded us. “We held excellent discussions with Minister Delrio on the development of bilateral cooperation in infrastructural sector. We have defined timetable and established joint Committees in order to tackle and solve the technical and financial issues. Technical discussions are progressing very well. We are meeting all our commitments up till now. This is our third meeting and we have extended our invitation to Minister Delrio to come to Iran again in December”. As for the financial side - Minister added – “we are pursuing our discussion with Sace in a positive way”.
During the meeting between the Italian Railway Company (FSI) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI), statement on joint projects in rail transport sector was signed. As a first step, these projects concern the implementation and development of two new high-speed rail lines: Qom-Arak rail line of about 100 Kilometres in length and the Teheran-Hamedan rail line of about 300 kilometres in length: “ We are ready to launch first Qom-Arak rail line first, for an amount of approximately EUR 1 billion. By August 25th , explained Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of FSI, we will provide the details of the project as well as the economic assessment of it in order to complete the contract’s signature by February: as good railwaymen we are making every effort to implement mutual commitments as soon as we possibly can” – concluded Mazzoncini.
The framework Agreement was signed between AIE (Anas International Enterprise) and CDTIC (Construction Development of Transport Infrastructure Company) before both Ministers and the Iranian Deputy Minister for International Relations Asghar Fakhriyek Kashan, for the motorway concession of the North-South Corridor, a long route covering 1,200 kilometres starting from the Persian Gulf area and arriving at the Northern border with Turkey.
Chronology of Meetings between Italy and Iran
Minister Delrio went on mission to Teheran on February, 9th and 10th , following the visit of President Rouhani to Rome (January, 25th-27th ) and the concrete development of the bilateral round table on infrastructure and building sectors was organized in Rome, last December, by the Italian National Builders’ Association (Ance), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Maeci) and ICE. During the visit of Minister Delrio to Teheran, several memoranda of understanding were signed on the respective areas of competence, with further operational developments during Premier Renzi later visit (on April, 12nd -13th ) among which are noteworthy:
- The Framework document between FSI and Iranian Railways ( RAI) which defined technical, contract and financial standards, mainly for the development of high-speed rail lines in Iran;
- The Memorandum of Cooperation between AIE (Anas International Enterprise) and CDTIC (Construction Development of Transport Infrastructures Company);
- The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the upgrading works for the Mehrabad International Airport of Teheran, between the SEA Milano and the Iranian Airport Company;
Until the latest visit to Teheran of the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Amendola, May, 16th and 17th, for the further development of the actions undertaken, Premier Renzi announced the next visit to Teheran of the Minister of the Economy and Finance Padoan, at a date still to be defined.