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France, United States differ on business with Iran

A French business delegation comes away with the sense that Iran is ready to turn a page in its economic ties with the West.
Renault Asia Chief Gilles Normand attends an interview with Reuters in Boulogne-Billancourt, January 28, 2014. Renault has resumed shipments to Iran and expects its car production in the country to pick up progressively throughout the first half of 2014, the French automaker said. A temporary easing of sanctions has begun to allow a "very low" volume of parts shipments for vehicle assembly in Iran, Renault's regional boss Gilles Normand told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday.  Picture taken January 28

TEHRAN, Iran — Although France opened discussions with Iran in 2003, it then became one of the toughest countries in opposition to the Iranian nuclear program, especially after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election. Despite this stance, which was confirmed by France’s reaction to the draft of the Joint Plan of Action last October in Geneva, French companies were among the first to react to take advantage of the new situation created by the conclusion of the interim deal of Nov. 24.

I was part of a delegation comprising more than 120 French companies that recently traveled to Tehran to restore bilateral contacts following years of sanctions. This was the first of that size for several years.

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