Austrian president, in Tehran, expects growing trade with Iran

08/09/2015 - 9:12

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Austrian President Heinz Fischer, the first Western head of state to visit Iran in more than a decade, told his hosts on Tuesday of his hopes for economic gains for both countries as relations with Tehran thaw.

"We expect to boost our volume of trade to 300 million euros (218.48 million pounds) in the short term, and we then look forward to markedly increasing our economic relations," he said in a joint news conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Fischer said the two governments had agreed to increase political and economic cooperation, and the agreements would benefit both sides equally.

Fischer's visit follows the signing in July of a landmark accord between Iran and world powers on its disputed nuclear programme, after talks held in Austria.

He was due to meet Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei later on Tuesday, a rare event for a Western official.

(Reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Writing by Sam Wilkin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)