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(Adds Fabius industry comments, background)
By Sam Wilkin
DUBAI, July 29 (Reuters) - On the first visit to Iran for 12 years by a French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius conveyed an invitation from President Francois Hollande to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to visit France in November, Iranian media said.
If Rouhani accepts, he will be the first Iranian president to make a state visit to France since 1999.
Fabius is seeking to smooth over any strains in the relationship created by France's hard line during negotiations that produced a historic nuclear agreement on July 14, and thereby create a climate conducive to stronger economic ties.
France hopes to secure business in Iran once Western sanctions are lifted under the nuclear deal, and Fabius said last week that his tough stance in the negotiations would not stand in the way of French commercial opportunities.
Fabius met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on his one-day visit and was due to meet Industry Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, and Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Iran's state news agency IRNA said.
Some Iranian hardliners want to block French business deals because of France's close relationship with Gulf Arab governments that are locked in a regional power struggle with Tehran as well as its stance during the nuclear negotiations.
However, Zarif said that the meeting with Fabius had gone well. "We began good discussions to reach regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism and extremism," he said in a televised news conference.
Fabius also said that agriculture, carmaking and the environment would be a particular focus of a high-ranking French economic and business delegation due to visit Iran in September.
Carmakers Renault and Peugeot were major players in Iran's automotive sector before major new sanctions were introduced in 2011, while oil company Total was active in Iran until 2006.
Hardliners have also made reference to a scandal in which France sent HIV-infected blood supplies to Iran in the 1980s, when Fabius was prime minister and Iran was at war with Iraq.
Images on social media showed protests against Fabius at Tehran's Mehrabad airport, and flyers depicting a bloody red carpet and the pledge: "We will not forgive or forget."
Fabius had said that he expected talks "on all subjects" during this visit and was quoted by Iranian broadcaster IRIB as saying, "As major powers, Iran and France both have a responsibility to promote peace and stability in the region."
(Editing by William Maclean and Louise Ireland) ((sam.wilkin@thomsonreuters.com; +971 4453 6873; Twitter @WilkinReports;))
By Sam Wilkin
DUBAI, July 29 (Reuters) - On the first visit to Iran for 12 years by a French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius conveyed an invitation from President Francois Hollande to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to visit France in November, Iranian media said.
If Rouhani accepts, he will be the first Iranian president to make a state visit to France since 1999.
Fabius is seeking to smooth over any strains in the relationship created by France's hard line during negotiations that produced a historic nuclear agreement on July 14, and thereby create a climate conducive to stronger economic ties.
France hopes to secure business in Iran once Western sanctions are lifted under the nuclear deal, and Fabius said last week that his tough stance in the negotiations would not stand in the way of French commercial opportunities.
Fabius met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on his one-day visit and was due to meet Industry Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, and Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Iran's state news agency IRNA said.
Some Iranian hardliners want to block French business deals because of France's close relationship with Gulf Arab governments that are locked in a regional power struggle with Tehran as well as its stance during the nuclear negotiations.
However, Zarif said that the meeting with Fabius had gone well. "We began good discussions to reach regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism and extremism," he said in a televised news conference.
Fabius also said that agriculture, carmaking and the environment would be a particular focus of a high-ranking French economic and business delegation due to visit Iran in September.
Carmakers Renault and Peugeot were major players in Iran's automotive sector before major new sanctions were introduced in 2011, while oil company Total was active in Iran until 2006.
Hardliners have also made reference to a scandal in which France sent HIV-infected blood supplies to Iran in the 1980s, when Fabius was prime minister and Iran was at war with Iraq.
Images on social media showed protests against Fabius at Tehran's Mehrabad airport, and flyers depicting a bloody red carpet and the pledge: "We will not forgive or forget."
Fabius had said that he expected talks "on all subjects" during this visit and was quoted by Iranian broadcaster IRIB as saying, "As major powers, Iran and France both have a responsibility to promote peace and stability in the region."
(Editing by William Maclean and Louise Ireland) ((sam.wilkin@thomsonreuters.com; +971 4453 6873; Twitter @WilkinReports;))
