TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran and Uzbekistan are ready to hold the next meeting of their joint economic committee next week, said the head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), Hamid Zadboum, on the sideline of an online meeting with an Uzbek official.
Zadboum and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Laziz Kudratov in a videoconference explored the ways for bolstering trade relations between the two countries and agreed to set up a committee to start negotiations on finalizing a preferential trade agreement between Iran and Uzbekistan, reported Mehr News Agency.
They also agreed to hold a meeting with the roads ministers of the two countries on strengthening bilateral transport ties.
As announced last month by Iranian Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian, the volume of trade between Iran and Uzbekistan increased 40 percent in 2019.
Expressing pleasure over Iranian companies’ activities in Uzbekistan, Kudratov said that Tashkent welcomes the presence of Iranian investors and technical engineering companies in economic and development projects and is interested in the expansion of scientific and technical cooperation between the two countries.
Nahavandian made the remarks in a meeting via videoconference with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Sardar Omar Zagov.
Referring to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on reducing the level of economic exchanges between the two countries in recent months, Nahavandian said that there are various ways to overcome the existing obstacles.
He pointed to Iranian experts’ capabilities and experiences in technical and engineering fields, saying that Tehran is ready to share its experiences with Tashkent in all fields.
Zaqov, for his part, underscored that Iran is a major trade partner of his country, saying, “We are determined to promote cooperation between the two countries in various fields, particularly in the fields of economy and trade.”
“We believe that geographical proximity and spiritual commonalities are a good opportunity that can be used to increase the level of economic relations between the two countries,” he underscored.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews