(Financial Times-UK) Roula Khalaf and Delphine Strauss - Turkey could emerge as a new safety net for Iranian business as the government insists that it will abide by UN sanctions but not the more sweeping restrictions imposed on Tehran by the U.S. and EU. Mehmet Simsek, the finance minister, told the Financial Times that Turkey would not shy away from promoting closer trade links with Iran. If a trade deal needs to be financed, added Simsek, "we will have to find a way to pay for it." The state-owned Turkish refiner, Tupras, has stepped in to supply Iran after several international companies stopped selling the country refined petroleum. EU foreign ministers were due to meet on Monday to agree on new economic sanctions on Iran, going well beyond the measures approved by a UN resolution last month.
2010-07-26 08:50:30Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive