TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran-Finland Joint Chamber of Commerce was officially launched after electing the members of board of directors in the meeting of its founders and in presence of ambassadors of both countries.

In the meeting, the founders of the chamber elected board of directors and chairman and explored ways to boost cooperation between the two countries especially between their private sectors.

Speaking in the meeting, Deputy Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) for International Affairs Mohammad-Reza Karbasi said despite the existing capacities, the trade volume between the two countries is insignificant and it is estimated at $7.5m.

According to him, both countries have cooperated in the fields of the construction materials, petrochemicals, dried fruits and medicines  and Iran’s major imports from Finland has been technology.

Karbasi went on to say that Iran-Finland Joint Committee had been established about one and a half years ago and after some actions and boosting ties, it could be considered as one of the most active committees at the ICCIMA and therefore, both sides decided to launch the Iran-Finland Joint Chamber of Commerce. He also called support of embassies necessary for boosting trade, adding that one of the demands of Iranian economic activists is to ease visa process and banking actions as well as easing the way for the presence of Iranian traders in the upcoming exhibition in Finland.

He also announced urged Iran’s embassy in Finland to support Iranian traders in Finland for restoring more effective ties with the Finnish bodies.

Then Vice President of Finland Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of International Chamber of Commerce ICC in Finland Mr. Timo Vuori, for his part, in this online meeting pointed to the damages which the COVID-19 pandemic has caused in Iran, saying that massive vaccination is very important against COVID-19 and in this line, Finland has started vaccination of its people and it will spare no support in providing Iran with required vaccines.

He then pointed to the challenges resulted by the sanctions, saying that everybody knows that cooperation has not been so easy during the sanctions era and during in this period, the Finnish Chamber of Commerce has had meetings with economic activists and traders and they know the challenges and expressed his gratitude to the embassies of both countries, expressing hope the cooperation between Iran and Finland would continue like the past.

According to Vuori, Iran-Finland Joint Chamber of Commerce is a good and proper mechanism and should be supported in order that companies can restore broad trade relations. He also said cooperation with the joint chamber is a very necessary act and emphasized that in the future, these two bodies will find ways for expansion of cooperation and will take the operational steps.

Then head of Iran-Finland Joint Committee Mr. Gholam-Hossein Jamili, for his part, expressed hope on the launch of Iran-Finland Joint Chamber of Commerce and called it a beginning of a new chapter in this field, adding that traders should develop ties based on logical trade principles without any political approach and the chamber will have a colorful role in it.

He claimed after putting behind the coronavirus crisis, the condition for cooperation will get better. He then referred to an exhibition which is to be held in Finland in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship and startups and said urged Finnish Embassy and Finland Chamber of Commerce to ease the presence of Iranian enthusiasts in this big event.

Then voting process for electing the board of directors continued and eight were elected to the board of Iran-Finland Joint Chamber of Commerce.