TEHRAN – A trade delegation from Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) attended a meeting with representatives of Shanghai International Cooperation Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), wherein the two sides stressed expansion of cooperation between their SMEs.

As reported by the portal of TCCIMA on Saturday, in the meeting TCCIMA Head Masoud Khansari underlined the important role of SMEs in boosting trade between the two countries, saying “In the current situation, SMEs have great potentials and opportunities for expanding the trade relations between the two nations."

Khansari further pointed to the historical trade relations between the two countries, calling China Iran’s top trade partner.

The trade turnover between the two countries reached $32 billion in the past Iranian calendar year, according to the official.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Chinese entity for his part voiced his country’s eagerness for boosting trade relations with Iran, saying that the two countries’ economies are complementary to each other.

He expressed hope that the visit of the Iranian delegation could provide good opportunities for the two sides to further expand their mutual cooperation in various areas.

Elsewhere in the meeting, the two sides emphasized the need for exchanging information regarding their private sectors and their market needs in order to determine potential areas for mutual cooperation.

Headed by Masoud Khansari, the Iranian delegation is visiting China to explore avenues of economic cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors.

Earlier on Wednesday, TCCIMA signed a trilateral memorandum of understand (MOU) for cooperation with China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and the Iranian Chamber of Commerce in the North China region of Beijing on Wednesday.

The MOU was signed during a meeting between the Iranian trade delegation and representatives of CCOIC and the Iranian Chamber of Commerce in the North China region.

EF/MA