TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic of Iran and Bulgaria signed three memorandums of understanding on transportation, IT and tourism sectors here Wednesday.

Iran’s Minister of Roads and Transportation Mohammad Rahmati and Bulgarian Transport Minister Peter Mutafchiev signed the MOUs in the 16th Iran-Bulgaria Joint Economic Commission, Mehr reported.
“The Bulgarian delegation held separate meetings with Iranian first vice President, head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization, and managing director of Iran Khodro automotive company,” Rahmati said.
This official evaluated the meetings as ‘positive’, adding the sides held comprehensive talks on possible ways to expand relations in different fields such as road, air, sea, and railway transportation, energy, trade, investments, IT, tourism, and agriculture.
“Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and is the gateway to Europe passing through Turkey,” he noted.
The Bulgarian delegation paid a visit to the giant Iranian carmaker Iran Khodro and voiced their interest to import Iran’s national car Samand, he said.
Mutafchiev, for his part, said that the Iran-Bulgaria Joint Transportation Committee session would be held in Sofia in September this year.
In a bid to expand bilateral cooperation the two sides decided to exchange transportation information, IRNA reported
Bulgarian officials called for amending the permits issued for the two countries’ passenger transportation companies.
The two sides also emphasized the need for cooperation in railway transportation field and increasing the volume of cargo traffic.
According to the MOU, the fist joint meeting of the marine and port cooperation committee will be held in Bulgaria by the end of 2008.
Also in a visit to Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port, Mutafchiev stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys high potentials in marine transportation.
In a meeting with Hormozgan Province’s Ports and Shipping Department Director General Mohammad-Reza Ashkriz, Mutafchiev voiced his country’s readiness to expand bilateral trade via Shahid Rajaee Port, IRNA reported.
“Modern shipment facilities and connection to the railway network are the advantages of Shahid Rajaee Port especially for transit of goods,” he said.
“The port has an annual shipment and container capacities of 50 million tons and 3 million containers respectively, he said adding,” the capacities would be increased to 70 million tons and 6 million containers within the next two years