According to a report by the TPOI, Mehdi Zaighmi, the caretaker chairman of the organization held a meeting with the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Tehran Nizamuddin Zahedi during which they discussed the barriers to the development of trade between the two countries and ways to resolve them.
The Iranian official said that President Ebrahim Raeisi's administration attaches great importance to trade ties with neighboring countries, including Tajikistan, and urged for holding the joint trade conference between the two countries during the Iranian president's upcoming visit to Dushanbe to be participated by the two presidents.
He also pointed to the decrease in the volume of trade between the two countries and announced conducting research for the causes and efforts to remove the obstacles to the development of trade between Iran and Tajikistan.
He added, "According to the existing schedule, it has been decided that our trade attache will be sent to Tajikistan by the end of the year."
Zaighami emphasized, "Attending international exhibitions of Tajikistan and sending and receiving trade delegations from the two countries are also among the main programs of TPOI in order to increase trade exchanges."
He also pointed out the ability of Iranian technical and engineering companies and requested the assistance of the Tajik government for the participation of those companies in important projects in Tajikistan.
Referring to the volume of commercial exchanges between Iran and Tajikistan in the first five months of this year, the Ambassador of Tajikistan in Iran admitted that "Compared to the same period last year, these exchanges have decreased by 9%, which should increase considering Iran's potentials and our interest in using all of them."
Referring to the planned visit of Ayatollah Raeisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Tajikistan in the next two months, Zahedi said, "It is necessary to hold a business conference with the participation of businessmen and tradesmen as well as business officials of the two countries in order to form a bond between those business people."
He emphasized, "[Iran's] Khorasan Razavi province has a very good business relationship with Tajikistan and we are asking other provinces to expand their trade relations with Tajikistan."
The diplomat further pointed to the project of building the Esteghlal Tunnel which was carried out by Iranian companies in his country, saying "The connection between the north and the center of Tajikistan used to cut off [during winter], but the Esteghlal Tunnel resolved that problem."
The two sides further discussed various commercial issues.
KI/IRN85177336