Mohsen Jalalpour received Spanish delegation on Monday, where both sides believed that the private sector had great potentials to be exploited by businessmen and Chambers of Commerce.
Jalalpour urged improvements in cooperation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of Iran and Spain, and expressed gratitude for holding several sessions and Spanish ambassador’s efforts to hold such meetings months before Monday’s meeting as an indication of Spanish willingness and interest in cooperation with Iran.
“Spain has been among the last countries in severing economic relations with Iran due to sanctions; now however, with opening new chapters in relations of the two countries, the economic sectors of both countries would find the opportunity to boost relations,” said Jalalpour, “Iran’s Chamber of Commerce has always supported Iranian and regional markets through an emphasis laid by political leaders on foreign investments; private sectors are integral to deepening economic relations, and exchange of economic delegations between Iran and Spain would help with this issue,” he added.
“As a stable country amid Middle East turbulent political arena and crises shaking the foundations of national economies, now Iran is an important hub for economic firms and would provide corridors to the region’s 400-million population market, with potentially Central Asian target countries as consumer markets,” Jalalpour told the meeting.
Jose Margallo, Spanish Foreign Minister, for his part, conveyed message of friendship by country’s monarch and prime minister, and believed that three cabinet ministers and other dignitaries in the delegation demonstrated clearly that ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran mattered for Spain; “both countries have long-standing cultural influence in world history; Iran’s influence is not limited to inside its borders, and to the testimony of history, what both countries had done, had helped spread culture and science; this would be a good ground for mutual cooperation in different sectors,” he said.
“Spain, since 2011, has been fighting with severe economic recession, and despite the difficulties, we succeeded in introducing important reforms in line with economic growth and raising exports; now, Spain stands only next to Germany in EU with 34 per cent growth in exports,” Margallo told the meeting.
SH/PR