TEHRAN – Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (locally known as DEIK) hosted an Iran-Turkey business forum in which the two sides discussed issues pertaining to bilateral trade.

As reported by the portal of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) on Saturday, the event was attended by officials from both sides including Gholamhossein Jamili, a member of the board of directors of ICCIMA, Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Mohammad Farazmand, Head of Iran-Turkey Joint Chamber of Commerce Mehrdad Saadat, and representatives of several Iranian and Turkish companies.

In the forum, the two sides discussed ways of expanding trade ties and removing the current obstacles in the way of the two countries' economic relations.

Speaking in the event, Jamilli who headed the Iranian delegation attending the forum, called for the two sides to form joint ventures in order to expand their presence in the global markets.

Mentioning the two countries long history of mutual trade and their geopolitical advantages in the region, Jamilli said the two countries should not neglect economic cooperate with each other. Fortunately today, the good relations between the two countries in various areas like culture and politics continue to grow and economic relations should follow this trend as well.

“As we all know, the pressures of the U.S. sanctions have increased over the past few years, and have reduced the volume of trade between the two countries,” he added.

He called for the two sides to take necessary measures to safeguard their economic relations against the impacts of the sanctions.

"We must make more efforts to remove the barriers. In spite of all the problems, including sanctions and banking barriers, it is necessary to rely on thoughtful measures to protect the two countries' trade against the impacts [of the sanctions]. Since 2014, total trade between the two countries has remained at almost $10 billion, despite fluctuations,” he said.

EF/MA

Photo: Gholamhossein Jamili, a board member of ICCIMA, speaking in the Iran-Turkey business forum in Istanbul