Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will on Thursday agree a host of commercial deals during a visit to France that offers the clearest demonstration yet of the Islamic Republic's post-sanctions intentions, reports Yahoo! News.
The visit, the first to France by an Iranian president since 1999, is the second leg of a trip signalling Tehran's rapprochement with Europe following the lifting of the measures imposed over its nuclear programme.
Although not termed an official visit, Rouhani will be received by President François Hollande with military honours and national anthems.
The real business of the trip will come when Rouhani officially signals Iran's intention to buy 114 passenger planes from European aircraft maker Airbus.
Rouhani will also ink a deal paving the way for the return of French carmaker Peugeot to Iran, in partnership with Iranian manufacturer Khodro, according to a French government source.
Peugeot will produce 200,000 vehicles a year in Iran, beginning in 2017. It pulled out of the country in 2012 as sanctions began to bite.
After arriving from Italy, where he sealed deals for steel and pipelines worth between 15 and 17 billion euros ($18.5 billion), Rouhani began his Paris visit on Wednesday by meeting top French business leaders.
France's economy minister Emmanuel Macron said Rouhani had unveiled a new government scheme to guarantee investment by French firms in Iran.
A source involved in the deal to buy Airbus planes said at this stage, only letters of intention will be signed because some sanctions are still in place.