TEHRAN (Iran News) –The head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) has called for promoting joint investment between the private sectors of Iran and Oman in order to boost the trade exchanges between the two countries.
Hossein Selahvarzi made the remarks in a meeting with Omani Ambassador to Tehran Ibrahim bin Ahmed Almuaini on Monday.
During the meeting, Selahvarzi expressed the readiness of the private sectors of Iran and Oman for joint investments, as well as, using transit capacities of the two countries for re-exports if the necessary infrastructure is provided by the governments of the two countries.
Referring to the 40 percent growth of trade exchanges between the two countries in the previous year, the official said: “Although this positive trend is significant, the ICCIMA is trying to increase the volume of exchanges as much as possible.”
He pointed out that the Joint Economic Committee meeting of Iran and Oman will soon be held in Tehran, noting that the ICCIMA is ready to discuss ways of facilitating the trade between the private sectors of the two countries in the mentioned meeting.
“The main obstacles facing the cooperation of the two countries’ private sectors are related to banking transactions and transportation,” Selahvarzi added.
He further mentioned Oman’s long-term development plan for 2040 and said: “The Iran chamber is working on an action plan for the active participation of the private sectors of the two countries in this development plan.”
Welcoming the remarks of the ICCIMA head, Almuaini said: “The Omani government regularly encourages the country’s private sector to increase exchanges with Iran and we are trying to facilitate such exchanges and remove obstacles.”
“Until five years ago, the exchanges between the two countries did not exceed $200 million dollars, but now it has increased to more than two billion dollars. Of course, although the progress of economic relations between the two countries is significant, we should not be satisfied with this level,” the envoy added.
Aiming to expand economic ties, Iran and Oman signed four cooperation documents in various areas including energy, investment, and free zones during the official visit of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said to Tehran in late May.
The document on the energy sector was signed by Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Oji and Omani Minister of Energy and Minerals Salim bin Nasser al-Aufi.
The two countries also signed three other documents to cooperate in the economic, investment, and free zones sectors.
