TEHRAN- The value of trade between Iran and Belarus in the field of agricultural products and foodstuff increased 22.5 percent to $4.3 million during the first five months of 2020 from the figure of the same period of time in 2019, the press service of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry told BelTA.

As reported by BelTA (Belarusian Telegraph Agency), the announcement was made after Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Krupko met with Iranian Ambassador to Belarus Saeed Yari in Minsk.

Participants of the meeting discussed ways to increase Belarus-Iran trade and economic cooperation in the sphere of agriculture and food, including ways to ship Belarusian dairy and meat products to Iran and Iranian fruits, fish, and seafood to Belarus. Belarus continues working to get Belarusian companies certified for shipping their products to Iran.

In order to invigorate bilateral cooperation and take a closer look at Belarusian products, Ivan Krupko invited the Iranian delegation to visit the international expo Belagro, which is due in Minsk on September 22-26.

The sides also discussed the timeframe for organizing the second session of the Belarusian-Iranian working group on cooperation in the sphere of agriculture.

In December 2019, Iran, and Belarus signed an agreement for promoting mutual trade, IRIB reported, quoting the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) as saying.

According to Rohollah Latifi, the agreement was signed by the IRICA Head Mehdi Mirashrafi and the Chairman of Belarus State Customs Committee Yuri Senko on the sidelines of a World Customs Organization (WCO) event in South Korea.

The agreement was signed in line with the implementation of the free trade agreement between Iran and Eurasia, Latifi said, adding that it is aimed for improving the level of cooperation between the two countries and protect the economic and social interests of both sides.

In the mentioned agreement, several important factors including identifying the two sides’ needs, increasing efficiency, customs control of goods, and vehicles in transit between the two countries, have been emphasized.

Belarus for long has been among Iran’s trade partners and the country played a significant role in reaching the trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The EAEU is comprised of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is an international organization created with the aim of encouraging regional economic integration through the free movement of goods, services, and people within the union.