Iran , India to Hold Trade Relations Forum on Oct. 27
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – Iran and India are to hold a virtual forum on their bilateral trade relations on October 27 with presence of major economic activists and members of chambers of commerce of both countries.
On Tuesday, Tehran Chamber of Commerce hosted a gathering for economic activists of India and Iran in cooperation with Indian Embassy in Tehran and India’s Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and during the meeting, the participants explored ways for expanding trade cooperation between both states.
In this specialized webinar on trade of foodstuff and agro products, Indian Ambassador Gaddam Dharmendra who was present at the Tehran Chamber of Commerce announced New Delhi’s commitment for keeping and expanding its economic relations with Iran, and reminded that Indian Embassy in Tehran is ready for cooperation with Tehran Chamber of Commerce for both restoring trade relations between enterprises of both states and resolving banking challenges and problems in transfer of money among companies in cooperation with its Iranian counterpart.
The Indian diplomat further said economic sectors of both countries should be after more and new opportunities in the economic cooperation scenes, adding that Iran’s geographical position in the region is of great importance for India’s trade link with CIS, Eastern Caspian Sea and East European states and both countries can expand their markets in those countries through bilateral cooperation.
Mr. Gaddam also pointed to the Coronavirus pandemic in the world and emphasized the necessity for food and agro product exchanges between both countries, adding that the value of India’s agro product exports to Iran is around $2b and it can increase.
Meanwhile Chairman of APEDA Mr. Diwakar Nath Misra, for his part, as the representative of the Indian counterparts pointed to the capacities of both countries for making colorful their economic relations, adding that tea and basmati are currently two major India’s exports to Iran while more products can be added to the basket of goods trade exchanges of both countries.
Secretary General of Tehran Chamber of Commerce Dr Bahman Eshghi, for his part, in this virtual meeting pointed to the $15b trade between Iran and India at its climax and called it lower than real economic capacities of both parties. He then pointed to the population of India and China and their proximity to Iran’s geographical borders and called it a good opportunity for tri-lateral cooperation for expanding economic and trade markets.
He noted that the power and capacities of governments of Iran and India in developing trade relations is limited, adding that private sector of both countries have duty to call on both governments to act as openers of trade doors for trade expansionist decisions.
Eshghi further said that Iran is one of the major foodstuff exporters in the West Asia and pointed to its climate diversity, adding that Iran can take advantage of valuable experiences of India in developing villages and using its capacities in integration and national production.
He then announced readiness of Tehran Chamber of Commerce for cooperation with Indian Embassy in Tehran in line with helping private sectors of both countries for restoring more economic cooperation and removing the walls around the bilateral trades which have been shaped by the sanctions.
He then called Asia as the future of the world, and named Iran, China and India as the three main actors of the economic relations in the world in near future.
At the end of the meeting it was announced that Iran-India Trade Relations Forum will be held on October 27 virtually.
