TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran and Austria, on Wednesday and in the tenth meeting of the Iran-Austria Joint Committee which was held online, exchanged views on boosting bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and both sides announced readiness to boost the cooperation.

Head of Iran Trade Promotion Organization Hamid Zadboum in the meeting pointed to old and historic relations as well as the positive trade approach of Iran and Austria and announced Iran’s all-out readiness for developing cooperation with different European countries, especially with Austria.

He then pointed to the foreign trade volume of Iran with different countries, and reviewed shares of European countries from Iran’s foreign trade with its 20 target export and import countries, and expressed hope Austria’s share would increase in the upcoming years after the removal of the coronavirus restrictions.

Zadboum then pointed to the achievements of Iran regarding the COVID-19 and effects of the pandemic on its economy, saying that despite problems of the pandemic on the world and Iran’s economy, these problems were intensified in Iran for providing the needs of the country in the field of health due to the sanctions and restrictions for the sake of the pandemic.

He then referred to the achievements of the country regarding the COVID-19 and the success of Iranian researchers in producing domestic COVID-19 vaccines.

Then Austrian Deputy Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs Florian Frauscher, for his part, pointed to the problems because of the pandemic, adding that economic pressure because of the virus caused economic regress in the GDP of Austria and it hit the hardest blow to Austria’s tourism industry.

Then he expressed interest in enhancing the level of trade relation with Iran, noting that the Austrian government has earmarked a 500-billion-euro stimulus package for helping the companies and labor market, expressing hope that Iran can have a considerable share of this basket.

Then Austrian Ambassador to Tehran Stefan Scholtz, for his part, expressed his interest in developing trade relation between Iran and Austria, noting that the embassy is trying to prepare a ground for the involvement of the interested Austrian companies in a business in Iran in order that it can help the trade between Iran and Austria grow more than ever after containing the pandemic.

Iran’s ambassador to Vienna Mr. Abbas Baqerpoor in the meeting expressed his satisfaction over the agreement of both countries for drawing up the Iran-Austria roadmap. He added that the agreement indicates the strong will of both countries for enhancing trade relation and expressed hope that the creation of the joint committee and six workgroups of it can be a base for developing bilateral trade,

He admitted that the unilateral U.S. cruel sanctions and restrictions because have affected Iran-Austria’s trade ties.