IFP - A Croatian official says the East European state�s biggest bank has expressed willingness to deepen and expand relations with Iran.





The governor of the Croatian National Bank, Boris Vuj?i?, has said following months-long talks between his institute and other banks of the East European state, Croatia�s biggest financial institution has shown interest in deepening and expanding ties with Iran.

According to a Farsi report by the Asr-e Iran news website, speaking in a meeting with the Governor of Iran�s Central Bank Valiollah Seif, on August 30, he added these talks, which have produced favourable results, were focused on expanding cooperation between Iran and Croatia in the field of payment systems.

Addressing the same meeting in Tehran, Seif said political relations between the two countries are developed at an acceptable level.

He called on both countries to foster their mutual banking collaborations.

Seif said the structure of Croatia�s banking sector is coherent and logical, and Iran is thus interested in establishing close relations with their banks.

He expressed the hope that improved relations between Iranian and Croatian banks would lead to an increase in the level of the two countries� economic and trade ties.

The CBI chief stressed that banking relations are a prerequisite to improved economic ties between two states.

He hoped that the meeting with his Croatian counterpart would prepare the ground for improved relations between the two countries.

Given the present condition of Europe�s economy, Saif said, some banks may be interested in carrying out joint activities and fostering cooperation with their foreign counterparts.

He added such collaborations can be in the form of making joint investments and opening branches as well as representative offices in one another�s countries.

Seif said Iran welcomes enhancement of cooperation with Croatia.

Currently, he added, both sides possess enough capacity to improve their cooperation.

�Therefore, I hope that the next trip by Iranian traders to Croatia, to be led by the head of Iran�s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, would lead to a significant improvement in trade and economic relations between the two countries.�

He urged the two sides to encourage their banks to establish close connection with each other and promote their mutual cooperation to prepare the ground for their managers and bankers to increase their knowledge of their counterparts in the other country.