Iran, Belarus confer on ways to reach €1b trade target
High-ranking Iranian and Belarussian officials held talks in the Eurasian country to discussed avenues to achieve the €1 billion trade target.
In the meeting, Belarus’ Minister of Industry Pavel Utyupin and Iran’s Ambassador to Belarus Mostafa Oveisi evaluated the level of cooperation between private and government sectors in different fields such as industry and trade, IRNA reported on Sunday.
Oveisi highlighted the importance of regular economic meetings between the two sides, adding that Iran is ready to boost cooperation with Belarus in all fields.
The Belarusian minister called for increasing ties between the two countries’ business enterprises.
In October 2018, Oveisi said that Iran’s trade balance with Belarus turned positive after 25 years.
He pointed to the positive trade balance with Belarus and its unprecedented increase in recent years and said, “Fortunately, Iran and Belarus attained the highest trade level in the year to March 20, 2018.”
He put the trade between Iran and Belarus in the year to March 20, 2018 at $154.1 million which is unprecedented in the past 25 years.
“Last year, we held intensive and fruitful talks with Belarusian side in the field of oil cooperation which led to the export of two Iranian oil shipments to Belarus,” the ambassador said.
Constructive talks between Iran and Belarus had significant impact in promoting cooperation and trade exchanges, he maintained.
In addition, cooperation between the two countries has witnessed considerable growth in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agriculture, import of beef, electric-operated buses, promotion of tourism industry, etc., Oveisi noted.
Once agreements concluded between Iran and Belarus in past years are finalized, giant steps will be taken in promoting bilateral ties, he said, adding, “Given the studies in this regard, trade between Iran and Belarus will hit $1 billion in the coming years.”
He said the removal of obstacles to trade and business between the two countries has been put on top of the agenda of the Iran’s Embassy in Belarus.