TEHRAN (Iran News) – Bratislava Urged to Support Iranian Companies. Chairman of the Iran-Slovakia Joint Trade Committee Mr. Jabbar Kianipour says the trade volume between Iran and Slovakia has sharply declined in recent years and in order to improve bilateral trade relation, problems of businessmen regarding visa, investment and banking transactions should be resolved.
In the meeting with Ambassador of Slovakia and its commercial attache, Kianipour revealed the problems of Iranian businessmen in trade with Slovakia.
Kianipour pointed to the approach of the new Slovak Ambassador H.E. Ladislav Ballek regarding the economy and expressed hope that with the new diplomatic team of Slovakia in Tehran, both countries could solve problems of their businessmen for bilateral trade and investment.
He also called for setting up a special committee in Bratislava under the supervision of the chamber of commerce of this country under the name of Iran-Slovakia Commercial Committee which is considered very crucial for developing the bilateral trade.
Kianipour noted that both countries enjoy having good potentials for boosting bilateral trade and Slovakia can use Iran market for flooding its products into its neighboring states and allies. He added by the way, Slovakia can be a gateway for the arrival of Iranian goods and services into EU states.
He went on to say that he expects Slovakia to take action for easing visa issuance for Iranian traders and the process forhvisa should be shorter.
He admitted that the trade between both states gas declined sharply, adding that Iran’s imports from Slovakia were around $22m in 2017 which fell to $5.2m in 2019. He added that at the same time, Iran’s exports have been almost halved.
Kianipour also stipulated that Iranian companies have set up companies or invested in Slovakia and each has spent over 50,000 euros per year but they have not received enough support from the government.
Then Slovak Ambassador Ballek, for his part, expressed his satisfaction regarding Iranians’ interests for investment in Slovakia and expressed hope the new diplomatic team in the embassy would do their best to boost the trade between both states.
He also rejected some reports about the amount of investment for launching company and staying in Slovakia, noting that if any one who is interested in investing in Slovakia, he can contact with the embassy for getting necessary information to reduce their cost of investment because they need the primary investment of 5000 euros.
Ballek admitted that all banks in Slovakia are private and the Americans a least own five percent of their shares and they have to obey the sanctions against Iran.
