TEHRAN (Iran News) –Director-General of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA)’s International Department Shahram Khasipour says that resolving the issues related to transportation and banking transactions is the prerequisite for the expansion of trade ties between the two countries.
Khasipour made the remarks in a meeting with his Uzbek counterparts on the sidelines of the Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Committee meeting in Tashkent.
Referring to the two countries’ annual $450m trade, the official said: “Although the volume of trade between Iran and Uzbekistan has grown compared to last year, considering the potential capacities of the two sides, this figure is not satisfactory.”
Emphasizing the need for joint investment between the private sectors of the two countries in the fields of textile, mining, and food industries, he added: “It is necessary for government officials to provide the necessary support to investors and economic operators.”
He also emphasized increasing cooperation between the chambers of commerce of both countries especially in the field of exchange of trade delegations, exchange of economic and trade data and information, and also introducing investment opportunities and called them ways for enhancing level of economic cooperation between Iran and Uzbekistan.
Then Deputy Head of Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for his part, announced readiness of the chamber for broadening cooperation with its Iranian counterpart and said that mid-June a trade delegation from Uzbekistan is to visit Iran and the joint commercial committee of Iran and Uzbekistan is going to be established soon.
Last week, Iran and Uzbekistan stressed the need for expanding economic ties by signing a preferential trade agreement (PTA) and removing the obstacles in the way of trade relations.
As reported, in a meeting between the Acting Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Mehdi Zeyghami and Uzbekistan Ambassador to Tehran Abdullaev Bakhodir Barotovich, the two sides discussed various issues including the preparations for holding the two countries’ joint economic committee meeting in Tashkent and the recent visit of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Tehran.
Speaking at the meeting, Barotovich said Iran is the closest access route to the open sea for this country and demanded the removal of obstacles to the transit of goods through Iran.
He expressed hope that a roadmap for economic cooperation between the two countries with a target of one billion dollars of annual trade will be signed during the upcoming visit of the Uzbek president to Tehran and said: “With the removal of transit obstacles, trade exchanges between Iran and Uzbekistan will reach four billion dollars.”
The ambassador also announced his country’s interest in holding business conferences and special events to connect the businessmen of the two countries.
