TEHRAN (Iran News) – Head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) said that $1 billion trade with neighboring country of Qatar is on Iran’s agenda.
Alireza Peyman-Pak, Head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran said on Saturday with regards to the upcoming visit of Iranian President to Qatar and said, “Participating in Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) and holding bilateral talks with senior Qatari officials have been cited as the two main aims behind upcoming visit of Iranian President Raeisi to Qatar.”
Turning to the high capacities and opportunities of cooperation between Iran and Qatar, Peyman-Pak stated, “In addition to holding talks pertinent to oil by senior officials of Iranian Petroleum Ministry, Iranian ministers of industry and tourism will also hold bilateral talks with their Qatari counterparts for the development of trade and tourism cooperation.”
He put the current trade volume exchanged between Iran and Qatar at about $300 and $400 million which is very negligible and stated, “With the planning made in this regard, it is expected that bilateral trade between the two countries will increase to $1 billion next year.”
Cooperating in the field of industrial development for exporting products to third countries and using high capacities and capabilities of Qatar for development of value chain and transit are of the other issues with regards to expanding trade ties between the two countries, he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the deputy minister of industry referred to the opportunity of Free Trade with Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) next year (to start March 21, 2022) and also lucrative $500 billion market of EAEU and stated that giant steps have been taken in order to expand trade and economic activities with EAEU member states.
Iran and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in a variety of areas at the end of the two countries’ seventh Joint Economic Committee meeting which was held in Isfahan in late November 2020.
Based on this MOU, the two sides agreed to cooperate in forming a joint trade working group between the two countries, establishing trade centers between the private sectors of the two sides, establishing commercial affiliates in the embassies of the two countries in Tehran and Doha, and using the ports of the two countries to boost the export and import of goods.
Cooperation between the two countries’ chambers of commerce to encourage the private sectors of the two sides for joint ventures, the development of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, electricity, water and wastewater and gas, cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, handicrafts, and tourism, including holding a cultural week in Isfahan, were among other provisions of the mentioned MOU.
