Uzbekistan Eyes Boosting Trade with Iran to $1b
Uzbekistan Eyes Boosting Trade with Iran to $1b
Uzbekistan Eyes Boosting Trade with Iran to $1b. Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Furqat Sadiqov in a meeting with the Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce (ICCIMA) expressed hope that the bilateral trade volume would hit $1b in five years.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Uzbekistan Eyes Boosting Trade with Iran to $1b. Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Furqat Sadiqov in meeting with the Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholamhossein Shafei expressed hope that the bilateral trade volume would hit $1b in five years.

In the meeting, Sadiqov and Shafei discussed different topics for improving economic relations between Iran and Uzbekistan. They also exchanged views on identification and resolving hurdles in way of trade and bilateral cooperation.

Sadiqov said Uzbekistan is interested in increasing trade with Iran in the next five years and expressed hope that the bilateral trade volume would touch $1b in the same period.

He also pointed to the considerable rise in investment of companies in Uzbekistan and explained the capacities for cooperation ahead of Iran and Uzbekistan. He then pointed to tourism, agriculture, mining, pharmaceutical, and technology as the important fields for bilateral cooperation and joint investment.

Sadiqov also said holding an international exhibition is one of the important tools for materializing the joint cooperation between Tehran and Tashkent, and also said establishing joint economic cooperation can be another option for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

He also pointed to the indexes for ease of doing business, emphasizing that these indexes have been improved in his country and Uzbekistan’s presence in the international communities is considered as an advantage that plays important role in developing its economic ties with countries like Iran.

Then Shafei, for his part, said that in the current condition Iranian economic activists are eager to develop their ties with their Uzbek counterparts, adding that agriculture, medicines, medical equipment, housing, vehicle, and transportation are the major fields for joint cooperation which should be noticed by economic activists of both countries.

He reiterated that establishing joint companies is the prerequisite to the development of joint cooperation between Iran and Uzbekistan in Eurasia. He also pointed to the establishment of the Joint Iran-Uzbekistan Economic Committee at the ICCIMA and highlighted the major performance of the committee since its launch and expressed hope the Joint Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Chamber of Commerce would be formed very soon.

Removing transportation problems, customs tariffs, issuing the technical and engineering services guarantee letters, and launching the arbitration panel were the other topics that were discussed between Shafei and Sadiqov, and Shafei called for operationalization of all of them through cooperation between Iran and Uzbekistan.

Sadiqov, leading an Uzbek delegation, arrived in Tehran on March 7, for talks with Iranian officials.

Presently, 272 companies are busy active in Uzbekistan with the investment of Iranians.

The value of trade exchanged between the two countries of Iran and Uzbekistan in the last eight months of 2020 hit $158 million.

It should be noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran recognized the independence of Uzbekistan on December 25, 1991, and political relations have been established between the two countries since May 10, 1992.

  • source : IRAN NEWS