St.Petersburg delegation's visit to Iran, Governor Valentina Matvienko told newsmen Friday that talks would be held in Iran this December on the assistance of St.Petersburg in subway construction in Teheran.
"In Iran, we talked about the designing of two new metro lines in Teheran. Besides, the Isfagan administration has shown interest in our proposals concerning the metro and promised to give its answer," said Matvienko.
She noted that the St.Petersbureg government would like the city to operate on the foreign market.
"We want to preserve our school, our contractor capacities. Metro building projects have been rather few in St.Petersburg in the recent years, we shall build up the pace but it is clear that many years are required to improve the situation. In the meantime, we would like to export this business to Iran," said the governor.
She added that it was too early to specify any results in this sphere of cooperation.
" I think it is some two months after talks in Iran this December and a likely round then in St.Petersburg that some real prospects will be seen," said Matvienko.
Like all big cities, St.Petersburg and Teheran have such similar problems as traffic jams. Teheran with a population of 12 million accounts for more than three million automobiles and has a certain experience of traffic control which can be borrowed by St.Petersburg, according to Mekhdi Chamran, chairman of the Islamic Council of Teheran.
The three metro lines in Teheran built with Chinese expert assistance are linking the total of 50 stations. The fourth line is planned to be built in the near future. The governor has called for benefiting from the experience of St.Petersburg which accounts for the unique underground and can share its skills.
Two trade agreements were signed in Teheran by Iran's and St.Petersburg's chambers of commerce and industry. Matvienko suggested installing a permanent display of Iran's commodities in St.Petersburg and urged promoting joint investment projects. Other themes touched upon by the speakers at the ceremony of signing the agreements were cooperation in ship-building, tourism, agricultural produce trade, oil industry equipment and the problem of visa issue for entrepreneurs for trips to Russia.
Under review was also wider contracts in the sphere of education. Merely 60 students from Iran are now enrolled at St.Petersburg universities and colleges, said Matvienko.
