German minister: US cannot tell us with whom we can do business

Young journalists club

News ID: 27309
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 18:55 - 12 August 2018
TEHRAN, August 12 - Germany’s Economy Minister Peter Altmaier says the United States is in no position to tell Berlin with which countries it can do business, vowing support for companies doing business with Iran.

German minister: US cannot tell us with whom we can do businessTEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Altmaier emphasized that Berlin would not let the US dictate its trade rules on it, stressing that Washington’s sanctions on Iran clearly showed America’s neglect of its partners.

He was quoted by media as saying that Germany should be more assertive and defy American sanctions particularly by investing more in Iran.

“We don’t let Washington dictate [their will] on trade relations with other countries,” Altmaier told Bild newspaper.

He emphasized that Germany and other European countries should feel free to pursue improved relations with Tehran.

“German businesses can continue to invest as much as they want in Iran,” Altmaier was quoted as saying in a report that was also carried by the website of Russia Today.

Altmaier’s words came after US President Donald Trump ordered to restore a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran’s purchase of US dollars.

These restrictions have damaged EU ties with Iran, which flourished after the milestone 2015 nuclear deal, the report added.

Last week, the EU responded to Washington’s sanctions against Iran by calling on companies to disregard threats from the US.

Apart from the issue of Iran, the US and Europe are locked in a dispute over tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles.

With that in mind, the German minister said, the world now risks sliding into an all-out economic conflict, adding that “we are just a few yards from the edge,” and “a global trade war would not know winners, only losers.” Politicians have no right to jeopardize hundreds of thousands of European jobs that depend on US-EU trade, he stated.

“We have learnt from the past that mostly customers are suffering from trade wars as goods and services are getting more expensive,” Altmaier said. “This trade war hampers economic growth and brings new uncertainties.”

Source: Presstv

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