Summary
President Hassan Rouhani hailed a "new relationship" between Iran and France during a visit Thursday that saw the signing of a host of post-sanctions business deals.
The real business of the visit will come when Rouhani officially signals Iran's intention to buy more than 100 passenger planes from European aircraft maker Airbus.
French car maker Peugeot said it will return to the Iranian market in a five-year deal worth 400 million euros ($436 million) that was announced Thursday.
Rouhani is to hold talks with President Francois Hollande which are expected to include discussions on Iran's role in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar Assad in a war that has killed 260,000 people.
After arriving from Italy, where he sealed deals for steel and pipelines worth between 15 and 17 billion euros, Rouhani began his Paris visit Wednesday by unveiling a scheme to guarantee investment by French firms in Iran.
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