TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran and Qatar on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint trade council which held its first session in Doha on the same day.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the document was signed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and his Iranian Counterpart Gholam-Hossein Shafeie in Doha.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani hailed the formation of the council that makes up of elites of different economic sectors of the two countries.
He said that the council will help discover investment opportunities in both countries and develop mutual cooperation.
The Qatari official also stressed the importance of the positive role that the private sector can play in developing trade between the two sides.
Shafeie, on his part, announced Iran’s willingness to boost trade ties with Qatar and said that there are numerous grounds for cooperation in this regard.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani was also present at a meeting attended by businessmen, as well as representatives of a number of Iranian and Qatari companies. Alireza Peyman-Pak, Deputy Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, who also heads the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, was also attending the meeting.
Sheikh Al-Thani said that trade ties between the two countries have been growing, as they increased by 34% in 2021 compared to a year earlier.
He said that many Iranian companies are currently cooperating with Qatari firms in different fields such as maintenance, services as well as gas and energy.
He added that the two countries can further expand their cooperation through the participation of their private sectors in fields such as agriculture, industry and food security, among others.
The Qatari official also spoke about his country’s laws and measures to facilitate foreign investment there, and invited Iranian companies to get familiar with the investment opportunities in Qatar.
Alireza Peyman-Pak also announced Iran’s willingness to develop ties with Qatar in trade and industrial fields.
He added that Iran also welcomes joint ventures with Qatar and intends to remove obstacles that businessmen of the two countries are facing.
Meanwhile Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian and Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Al-Thani in a meeting on Monday signed the memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The MoU of the 8th Meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar was signed between Mehrabian and al-Thani in Doha, Qatar.
Stressing Iran’s approach to the development of international relations, Mehrabian said that the current meetings manifest a new chapter in the development of cooperation between Iran and Qatar.
Referring to the deep-rooted relations between Iran and Qatar, he added that holding such meetings is not only constructive, but also it is strengthening bilateral ties between the two states.
This Memorandum of Understanding focuses on the areas of transit, transportation, industry and trade, energy, customs, free zones, tourism, cultural heritage, agriculture, and sports.
