Tehran, Kabul to Expand Cooperation on Electricity
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – Iranian Ambassador to Kabul Bahador Aminian says Iran’s Energy Ministry has vast and targeted plans in Afghanistan regarding the importance of electricity and infrastructures for transfer of electricity, and it will soon announce good news.
Speaking in the opening ceremony of the specialized exhibition “Water, Electricity and New Energies” in Kabul, Mr. Aminian said that Iran and Afghanistan have a great deal of opportunities to develop them and they should not let enemies ruin it. So if Afghanistan intends to develop, Iran is definitely the best choice in a way that both Iran and Afghanistan can reach the pre-planned targets via Iran, he added.
He pointed to the significance of Afghanistan market for Iran’s private sector, adding that statistics indicate that Afghanistan’s imports from Iran are around $3b annually and if this country is developed, a bigger market will be created for Iranian producers.
Aminian reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to help Afghan people to improve quality of their products and then it can be a purchaser of good quality products produced in Afghanistan.
He admitted that although the trade volume and trade balance of both countries is not satisfactory, Iran is ready for investment and offering appropriate technologies in Afghanistan.
He then pointed to the historic background of cultural, economic and political commonalities of both states, adding that the decades of good relations between both states is the basic reason for holding this exhibition which can be determinant in the future.
Aminian said that until today only exhibitions on displaying goods have been held but this exhibition is for displaying services and technology, adding that Iran showed that it is ready to invest in developing services and technology needed by Afghanistan, and it means Iran does not look at Afghanistan as a mere market for sale and it is after having a long and sustainable relation.
He reiterated that Iran is the winner of presenting top services in Afghanistan and expressed hope recent peace talks in Afghanistan would lead to sustainability of trade opportunity in the country.
Meanwhile Mayor of Kabul, for his part, said that gates of Kabul and other cities of Afghanistan are open to Iranian companies and investors, expressing hope that expansion of bilateral trade and cooperation would increase.
He noted that Iran by putting behind sanctions successfully and attaining self-sufficiency can be a good model for Afghanistan.
