France – Paris:

Date: September 30, 2024

Speakers: Mr. Baki Maneche, Mr. Jean Charles Albitre, Ms. Mina Alavash

In this seminar, held at 9:30 AM at the premises of one of Paris’s leading international trade companies, the first speaker, Ms. Mina Alavash, addressed the key points in drafting international commercial contracts. She began with the initial agreements formed during the negotiation sessions between the parties, commonly referred to as a preliminary agreement (Agreement) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Ms. Alavash stressed the importance of using specialized legal terminology due to its legal significance in such documents. She added that identifying the signatories of the agreement or contract is one of the most critical aspects of drafting.

Mr. Baki Maneche and Mr. Jean Charles Albitre continued the session by welcoming the group of Iranian business owners and industry leaders. Then they proceeded with the legal training on business law. Both speakers answered significant questions posed by the attendees regarding international contracts. Some of the key questions included:

• Financial issues due to non-payment
• Product delivery (the agreement mentions brand quality, but discrepancies in product quality upon delivery were not addressed)
• Payment terms (the MOU specified a single payment date, but the seller claims payment should occur earlier than the scheduled time)
• Shipping agreements where the cargo is delivered to ports other than those specified in the contract.

Many other questions were raised by the participants, all of which were thoroughly addressed by the speakers.

During the seminar, Mr. Tristan Cotte, CEO of the French international trading company, introduced his company’s operations after becoming acquainted with a group of Iranian businessmen. Following his presentation, the company’s managers from China, Russia, and Africa participated online to discuss potential collaboration opportunities with private Iranian firms.

 Switzerland – Geneva/Lausanne

Date: October 3, 2024

This seminar covered topics such as an overview of the activities of the Vaudoise Chamber of Commerce, legal issues, banking collaborations, and economic matters in the region. The event started at 2:00 PM at the Chamber of Commerce building in Lausanne.

During the session, a representative from the Vaudoise Chamber of Commerce’s office in Germany discussed a program focused on vocational and professional training for factory specialists and company staff, which caught the attention of Iranian participants and business owners.

Another highlight of the tour was a visit to the Cailler Chocolate Factory. Due to the high standards and hygienic practices in chocolate production, the Iranian business delegation was given the opportunity to tour part of the production line and learn about the history of chocolate, from the discovery of cocoa beans to the production of chocolate.