An Iranian parliamentary delegation has asked Finland authorities to join the European payment system INSTEX to maintain trade ties with Iran.
“We expect Finland to be more of a member in INSTEX. Finland should be one of the shareholders of this mechanism,” said Parvaneh Mafi, head of the Family and Women Parliamentary Group at the Iranian Parliament, who headed a parliamentary delegation to Finland last week.
She made the remark in a meeting with Marja Nykänen, deputy Governor of Bank of Finland in Helsinki last Saturday.
Three European countries, Germany, France and the UK established Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) in January in a bid to allow the trade of non-sanctioned goods and commodities with Iran after the US withdrew from the nuclear pact May last year and reimposed unilaterally economic sanctions on Iran.
Also, in a meeting with Finnish parliament Speaker Paula Risikko, the Iranian member of parliament stressed that commercial and trade relations between the two countries need to be developed.
Finnish Parliament Speaker Paula Risiko, second from right, poses for a picture with head of the Women and Family Parliamentary Group Prvaneh Mafi, in the Finnish capital Helsinki on 30 May. ICANA (ISLAMIC CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY NEWS AGENCY)
Earlier, Netherlands and Russia have also said they’d like to be the stakeholders at the European financial channel.
"[We are] holding talks. They are not making it a secret that INSTEX was created and continues to be created with quite serious difficulties” said Russian Representative in the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov.
"The Netherlands has consistently expressed support for INSTEX and has indicated its intention to become a shareholder," Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Block and Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Sigrid Kaag said on Wednesday 05 June.
Also, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said the government is studying joining the financial channel to resume trade with Iran.
December last year, Fiinnish politician, chair of the European Parliament Delegation on Relations with Iran Tarja Cronberg, during a visit to Iran and Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) talked about INSTEX before it was created.
Video: Tarja Cronberg disccusses European Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)