Tehran, Tashkent Work on Expanding Trade Exchanges

IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Industry, Nine and Trade Reza Rahmani says Iran is determined to boost economic cooperation with friendly countries especially Uzbekistan in all fields.

Speaking at the 13th Meeting of Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Cooperation Commission in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, Rahmani expressed readiness of Iran to expand its all-out ties with Uzbekistan.

50 Iranian companies attended the meeting and the exclusive exhibition on Iranian trade potentials in Tashkent which indicates significance of mutual trade and economic collaboration.

The minister said that Islamic Republic of Iran attaches significance to broadening of ties with Uzbekistan in all fields.

Over the past years, major documents in the fields of trade, transportation, mutual support to foreign investment have been signed by the two countries some of which have been operationalized, he said.

During the meeting with Uzbek deputy prime minister, Elyor Ganiyev, many cases were agreed upon and necessary actions to be taken to remove problems faced by the transportation sector.

Rahmani further noted that good talks have been held for easing issuance of visas for nationals of both countries and Iran is ready for enhancing cooperation in the field.

He also hoped that holding the summit will help take major steps in line with boosting cooperation between the two countries’ private and state sectors.

Given cultural, religious and historic commonalities between Iran and Uzbekistan as well as both sides’ interest in promoting trade and economic ties, effective steps will hopefully be taken in line with boosting banking collaboration and setting up direct flight.

He added that Iran is ready to cooperate with Uzbekistan in transportation and all interested fields.

He added that by agreements which were signed in the meeting especially on preferential trade, he expects the trade between both states would increase.

He reiterated that both countries are determined to preserve the newly launched direct flight between Iran and Uzbekistan which is a major step for expanding ties.

Meanwhile earlier on Wednesday, Rahmani highlighted the important role of North-South Corridor in promoting trade and economic and trade exchanges between countries in the north of Iran and south of Persian Gulf and North African states.

Rahmani made the remarks in a meeting with Uzbekistan Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade in Tashken.

He stressed that implementation of the North-South Corridor trade and economic capacities will connect countries in the north of Iran to those located in its south by the Persian Gulf and North African thus giving rise to new opportunities for boosting trade cooperation among the countries.

“Iran is ready to create a transit route for transferring goods from these countries to Uzbekistan without any limitation,” he said.

There are rare capacities for boosting cooperation, he said, hoping that the 13th Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Cooperation Summit will be a turning point for enhancing mutual cooperation.

The way is clear for boosting economic collaboration with Uzbekistan, Rahmani said, noting that signing preferential trade tariff memorandum of understanding will pave the way for further improving cooperation.

“We are planning to set up a direct flight line between Iran and Uzbekistan in a permanent manner, and use national currencies in financial transactions,” he said.

Meanwhile an Iranian official has expressed Tehran’s readiness to promote cooperation with Uzbekistan in the field of new technologies, highlighting the great advances that Iranian knowledge-based companies have made in various areas.

In an address to a Thursday meeting of Uzbek and Iranian businesspeople and officials, held in Tashkent, Chairman of the International Interaction Centre of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology Mahdi Qalenoei hailed Uzbekistan as a friendly country and a major economic center near Iran.

Highlighting Iran’s efforts to boost trade ties with Uzbekistan in recent years, Qalenoei said Tehran and Tashkent can promote cooperation in the sphere of new technologies, considering the global technological advances, the regional and international environmental problems, the need for innovation in science, the necessity of optimizing energy use, the need for application of cognitive sciences, and the importance of increasing productivity and economic competitiveness.

He also expressed hope that academic cooperation between the two nations would accelerate the progress in new technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, aerospace science, cognitive sciences, and new energies.

“Today, more than 4,400 Iranian knowledge-based companies are offering technologies that sell in the domestic market and could also enter the international markets in case of joint investment in mass-production,” he added.