TEHRAN- A cooperation memorandum of understanding was signed between Abbas Aliabadi, Iran’s Minister of Energy, and the Belarusian Minister of Energy, aimed at establishing cooperation between the parties in the energy sector for mutual benefit.

According to an IRNA report from the Ministry of Energy, a cooperation memorandum of understanding was signed between the Minister of Energy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus with the aim of promoting cooperation between the parties in the energy sector for mutual benefit.

According to this report, the main axes of this memorandum include promoting cooperation in sustainable energy development, including in the renewable energy sector; promoting cooperation in contracting and energy infrastructure services; and providing the possibility of exchanging experience, training, and technical support.

Also among the provisions of this memorandum are cooperation in the fields of construction and management of energy infrastructure, electricity distribution and transmission systems, joint participation in seminars, conferences, and exhibitions with the aim of attracting investment in the energy field, technical cooperation and exchange of information on engineering and advisory issues, and exchange of visits by senior officials and technical experts responsible for the development and implementation of energy policy.

Back in June, the Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of Iran, in a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Industry of Belarus, emphasized the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of industry, trade, transport, logistics, and joint production.

In this meeting, the two sides, referring to the growing economic relations between the two countries, stressed the need to increase the volume of trade exchanges and identify new opportunities for cooperation in various industrial and manufacturing sectors.

The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, pointing to the industrial capabilities of the two countries, cited cooperation in the supply of mining machinery as one of the important axes of joint cooperation and called for expanding interactions among active companies in this field.

During the meeting, the issue of joint tractor production in Iran was examined, and the two sides emphasized utilizing existing technical and industrial capacities to develop cooperation in this sector. Also, areas of cooperation for the joint production of urban and intercity buses and trucks with the participation of companies from both countries were discussed.

The Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade considered the development of transport infrastructure and facilitation of communication among economic activists as requirements for expanding economic relations and stressed the need to establish direct air lines between Iran and Belarus, as well as facilitating the visa issuance process for traders and citizens of the two countries.

In another part of the meeting, the readiness of Iran to export medical equipment, medicine, and health sector products to Belarus was announced, and the two sides emphasized the development of cooperation in this sector.

Furthermore, the development of logistical cooperation and utilization of the capacities of the North-South International Corridor was emphasized as one of the important axes of joint cooperation. The two sides assessed the use of this strategic route as an effective ground for facilitating trade, reducing transport costs, and increasing economic exchanges between the two countries and the region.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides emphasized the continuation of consultations, follow-up of agreements, and strengthening of joint cooperation in the industrial, commercial, and transport fields in order to enhance the level of economic relations between Iran and Belarus.

Meanwhile, in mid-August, Iran’s Deputy Agriculture Minister for planning and Economy Affairs met with the Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus, emphasizing the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of agricultural fertilizers, machinery, and joint investment.

Akbar Fathi, Iran’s Deputy Agriculture Minister for planning and Economy Affairs, met and held talks with Yuri Gorlov, Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus, on the sidelines of the 7th meeting of the Policy Council of Agriculture and Industry of the Eurasian Economic Union, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, the capacities and areas for developing agricultural and economic cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Belarus were reviewed, and both sides emphasized the need to strengthen bilateral interactions and utilize existing capacities to develop trade and investment in the agricultural sector.

One of the main axes of the negotiations was the continuation and development of cooperation between the two countries in the supply and trade of potash and phosphate fertilizers. In this regard, existing capacities for expanding trade cooperation, as well as examining areas for joint investment in the production and supply of agricultural inputs, were taken into consideration.

The Iranian side, referring to the importance of sustainable supply of inputs needed by the agricultural sector, emphasized the use of capacities of EAEU member states to diversify input supply sources and develop long-term cooperation.

Also during this meeting, capacities for joint cooperation in the field of agricultural machinery and equipment were discussed and exchanged.

Both sides emphasized identifying the capacities of manufacturing companies and private sector activists of the two countries and paving the way for the development of exchanges, technology transfer, and joint investments in the field of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The development of trade in agricultural and food products between Iran and Belarus was another focus of this meeting. Within this framework, existing capacities for increasing trade exchanges in the fields of poultry meat, dairy products, and various fruits were reviewed, and the need to facilitate trade and create suitable grounds for greater presence of producers and exporters of the two countries in each other's markets was emphasized.

Also, the issue of developing trade relations and utilizing the capacities of existing agreements and mechanisms to increase the volume of agricultural and food product exchanges between the two countries was taken into consideration.

At the end of this meeting, both sides emphasized the continuation of consultations and follow-up on the issues raised with the aim of developing joint investments, increasing agricultural trade, strengthening cooperation in the field of inputs and agricultural machinery, and creating new opportunities for private sector cooperation.

The meeting was held within the framework of the programs of the 7th Policy Council of Agriculture and Industry of the Eurasian Economic Union and in line with strengthening the agricultural diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and developing economic interactions with the member states of this union.

Also, in early July, ran’s Minister of Agriculture emphasized the expansion of bilateral agricultural cooperation, increasing trade exchanges between Iran and Belarus, and accelerating the holding of the joint agricultural committee of the two countries.

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Agriculture, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh, in a meeting with Dmitry Kaltsov, the Ambassador of Belarus in Tehran, examined the solutions for developing bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector and related industries.

The two sides, referring to the extensive capacities of Iran and Belarus in the fields of agricultural production, livestock, and machinery, emphasized the necessity of increasing the level of trade exchanges and facilitating economic cooperation between the two countries.

The development of imports and exports of agricultural and livestock products, expanding cooperation in the field of agricultural machinery, especially combine harvesters, and examining new areas of cooperation in various agricultural sectors were among the most important axes of the meeting between the Minister of Agriculture and the Belarusian Ambassador in Tehran.

Nouri and Kaltsov also agreed to accelerate the process of holding the joint committee on agricultural cooperation between the two countries and considered this commission a suitable platform for following up on agreements, removing existing obstacles, and elevating the level of technical, economic, and trade relations between Tehran and Minsk.

The two sides emphasized the continuation of consultations and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation with the aim of utilizing mutual capacities in the agricultural sector and food security.

MA