TEHRAN –Head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) has voiced Iran’s readiness for boosting trade ties with Belarus, TCCIMA portal reported.

As reported, Masoud Khansari, who visited the European country at the top of a trade delegation, made the remarks in an Iran-Belarus business forum which was held on Wednesday in Minsk.

The event was attended by senior officials from both sides including ambassadors of the two countries, officials from chambers of commerce as well as representatives of the two countries’ private sectors.

Speaking in the forum, Khansari pointed to Iran and Belarus’s potentialities and capabilities, noting that the two countries are in many cases complementary and can have wider and more diverse relationships in various areas. 

"Unfortunately, in the past few years, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries has declined. The volume of trade can be increased to $1 billion and considering the potentials of the two countries, achieving this goal is not out of reach,” he said.

He further stressed that the two countries should make use of the existing capacities to boost the level of economic cooperation.

Khansari also mentioned Iranian companies’ willingness for trade with Belarus, saying that lack of banking relations is a major obstacle in the way of trade between the two countries. 

He called for the two sides to find solutions to overcome this barrier.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Ulakhovich called for making much more efforts to augment Tehran-Minsk trade to $1 billion.

Joint economic committee meeting to be held next month

Iran's Ambassador to Belarus Mostafa Oveisi for his part said that Iranian Embassy is well-prepared to support the two sides' businessmen for expanding trade ties.

Oveisi stressed that the Iranian and Belarus presidents have already backed expansion of economic ties between the two countries.

The official further mentioned the two countries’ joint economic committee meeting which is due to be held in the upcoming month in Belarus.

“Heading a trade delegation, Mohammadreza Modoudi, head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), will visit Belarus in the upcoming month to attend the Iran-Belarus Joint Economic Committee meeting,” he said.

Boosting agricultural cooperation

Later on Friday, Chairman of Tehran Chamber of Commerce Masoud Khansari and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus Igor Brylo held talks during which the two sides agreed on facilitating exports of agricultural products like dried fruits, green house goods to Belarus and importing meat from Belarus.

In the meeting, Khansari referred to significant quality of Iranian agricultural products, saying Iran will be able to fulfill Belarus needs through exports.

Brylo for his part, said that Iran has exported $3.5 million of agricultural products to Belarus during the first half of the current year.

At the end of the meeting, both sides underlined the importance of facilitating exchange of such goods and also maintaining joint investment in the agricultural sector, especially in extra-territorial cultivation.

EF/MA
CAP: TCCIMA Head MAsoud Khansari (2nd L) and Iran's Ambassador to Belarus Mostafa Oveisi (1st L) attending an Iran-Belarus business forum in Minsk on Wednesday along with Chairman of Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Ulakhovich (2nd R).