Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has hailed “a new chapter” in French-Iranian relations during his visit to Paris to discuss trade ties.
Mr Rouhani hopes to agree several deals, including with French aircraft manufacturer Airbus for 100 planes.
Meanwhile, French carmaker Peugeot said it had agreed a joint venture in Iran worth 400 million euros ($436m).
Mr Rouhani’s Europe tour comes after the lifting of international sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Mr Rouhani’s five-day visit to Italy and France is the first by an Iranian president in nearly two decades.
Iranian diplomats had reportedly requested that no wine be served at Mr Rouhani’s lunch meeting with French President Francois Hollande, leading French officials to postpone the meeting until after lunch.
‘Seduced by Iran’
The Iranian president was received at a welcome ceremony on Thursday at the Invalides monument in Paris.
Mr Rouhani said: “The time is ripe for both countries to enhance their relations.
“Diplomacy at the negotiating table can be quite effective – it can through logic and prudence… resolve problems,” he said.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the two countries were “being reunited”.
“France has for a long time turned itself towards Iran, fascinated by its history, attracted by its culture, seduced by this great nation which is so incomparable,” he said.
However, Mr Rouhani’s visit also sparked protests from activists over Iran’s human rights record, and use of the death penalty.
One woman suspended herself from a bridge near the Eiffel Tower, with a banner reading: “Welcome Rouhani, executioner of freedom”.
Iran is likely to need hundreds of new aircraft in the coming years as it re-establishes commercial air travel previously restricted by the sanctions.
Iranian state TV said that as part of the deal with Airbus, 100 planes would be delivered to Iran over four years.
Meanwhile, French manufacturer Peugeot said it had signed a joint venue with local carmaker Khodro to manufacture cars in Iran.
Oil firm Total and rail company SNCF also announced deals with Iran.
Nudes hidden
Earlier this week in Italy, Mr Rouhani met Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Pope Francis. Monday saw contracts worth about €17bn signed between Iranian and Italian companies.
At Rome’s Capitoline Museum, where Mr Rouhani and Mr Renzi met, nude statues were covered up and wine was removed from official menus out of respect for the Islamic Republic’s strict laws governing propriety.
But the move to cover the statues angered Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, who labelled it “incomprehensible”. He said neither he nor Mr Renzi had been informed of the decision.
Agencies
