/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Austrian President Heinz Fischer became the first Western head of state to visit Iran in more than a decade.

This high-level visit by the European leader came as the ice between the West and the Islamic Republic began to melt following the nuclear deal signed between the six world powers and Iran in July.

European officials have intensified visits to Tehran hoping for economic gains after the removal of the international sanctions on Iran.

The President of Austria, the countrythat hosted the nuclear negotiations to settle the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program in July, visited Tehran on September 8 for two day stay.

Though the Austrian president’s working visit to Iran was met by criticism by some groups, the visit demonstrated Europe’s strong will to restore economic cooperation with Tehran.

Fischer also met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a rare event for a visiting non-Muslim dignitary.

Accompanied by a 230-strong delegation of senior business executives, Fischer held talks with senior Iranian officials.

Fischer said in a joint press conference with Rouhani that his country expects to boost the volume of trade to 300 million euros in the short term, and looks forward to markedly increasing economic relations between the two countries, Iranian media reported.

He added that the two governments had agreed to increase political and economic cooperation, and the agreements would benefit both sides equally.

Iranian officials said Fischer’s current visit to Iran would open new horizons for Tehran-Vienna cooperation in the political and economic fields.

Fischer’s team included representatives of more than 130 Austrian companies, who visited the Islamic Republic to take advantage of Iran’s new atmosphere after the removal of sanctions.

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz as well as Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner also accompanied Fischer on his trip to Tehran.

Austrian companies signed a series of deals with Iranian partners on September 9, becoming the first Western firms to take concrete steps to improve cooperation with the Islamic Republic.

Austrian Chamber of Commerce chief Christoph Leitl said Austrian businesses in industries including car parts, information technology and engineering sealed agreements worth 80 million euros ($89 million) at an economic forum in Tehran, IRNA news agency reported.

He stressed that dispatching a 230-member economic delegation from Austria to any country is quite unprecedented, especially since the Austrian president is heading the delegation, which makes it an even bigger historical event for his country.

Leitl added that Austria is interested in making investments in many projects in Iran, respecting the golden rule that both sides should benefit from a good trade negotiation.

He also added that Austria has unique expertise in tourism and is able to share its knowledge of tourism software.

Leitl further said seven more Austrian trade missions to Iran were scheduled for the second half of the year.

Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner stated that Iran and Austria have made tripling mutual trade volume a priority.

He went on to say that Austria intended to increase trade with Iran to $1 billion.

Mitterlehner also added that the partly state-owned Austrian energy group OMV was making contacts as part of the delegation.

Amir-Hossein Zamaniniya, Iran’s deputy petroleum minister for international and trade affairs said Iran says it plans to use the help of OMV to increase production at its oil and gas reservoirs.

He said OMV has announced readiness to provide Iran with technologies for operations that are known as Improved Oil Recovery and Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Zamaniniya added that IOR and EOR technologies will be used in both the oil and gas fields, however noting that such cooperation still depends on the removal of sanctions against Iran.