South Korean deputy prime minister has vowed to resolve banking problems with Iran after several banks in the Asian country blocked Iran’s access to its funds derived from energy sales and other import and export revenues.
Hong Nam-ki, who is also South Korean Minister of Economy and Finance expressed unhappiness for the problems in banking ties between the two countries, promising to do whatever he can to resolve the situation “because Seoul values much its relations with Iran”.
The South Korean official made the remark in a meeting with Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Abdolanser Hemmati in Seoul on Tuesday.
Hemmati arrived in South Korea on Monday night in a bid to hold talks with high-level economic and political authorities to help resolve the banking situation.
“The US maximum pressure policies have failed and we don’t want to see Iran-South Korea relations to be affected due to the US restrictions. Our government is interested in developing friendly ties with South Korea,” Hemmati told South Korean Minister of Economy and Finance on Tuesday in Seoul.
Hong Nam-ki also praised CBI’s measures to regulate the forex market in Iran that has been grappling with fluctuations recently following the reimposition of the US economic sanctions last year.
Before holding talks with the South Korean deputy PM, Hemmati met with his South Korean counterpart Lee Juyeol and urged the chief banker to allow the Iranian government as well as Iranian importers and exporters to be able to have access to their funds in private South Korean banks.