TEHRAN (Iran News) –The secretary of Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free Trade-Industrial and Special Economic Zones negotiated with the officials of the free trade and special economic zones of Uzbekistan about the establishment of a joint free zone between the two countries, during a two-day visit to Tashkent.
As reported, Hojatollah Abdolmaleki participated in the international investment meeting of Uzbekistan, which was held in the presence of the president and other high-ranking officials of this country and heads of international and regional financial organizations and institutions.
By visiting several free and special zones of Uzbekistan, the Iranian official discussed the benefit and use of joint capacities and opportunities for investment and trade between the two countries
Two weeks ago, Abdolmaleki announced that Iran is negotiating with 17 countries for the establishment of joint free zones and said by setting up these free zones, trade and investment will be facilitated.
He named Russia as one of the countries in this due.
In mid-March, the deputy head of the Free Zones High Council said that Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement to form a joint free trade zone on the border of the two countries in the near future.
According to Ahmad Jamali, the decision for establishing the mentioned zone was made during the two countries’ fifth Joint Economic Committee meeting in Baghdad.
Underlining the fact that three of Iran’s major free zones are located near the Iraqi border, Jamali noted that along with the joint zone, these four free trade zones can play a significant role in boosting the trade exchanges between the two countries.
The establishment of free trade zones (FTZs) in Iran dates back to the Iranian calendar year 1368 (March 1989 – March 1990) following the fall in the country’s oil income in the preceding year which prompted the government to promote non-oil exports.
