TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) – An official at the Iranian Ministry of Energy said Tehran and Doha are determined to enhance the volume of annual trade to $1 billion.

Neighborhood-based diplomacy is one of the important principles of the administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi, the head of the International Affairs Department of the Ministry of Energy emphasized.

Currently, the volume of Iran's export of goods and equipment to Qatar is about $200 million, which is expandable to $1 billion, Mojtaba Akbari stated.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 9th Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Cooperation Commission in Tehran, he pointed to the history of holding the joint commission and added that the 8th edition was held in the Qatari capital of Doha in 2022 and had positive results.

With the advancement of neighborhood-based diplomacy through cultural, social, and economic proximity with Qatar, many obstacles on the path of ties between the two countries can be removed, he added.

Many Iranian traders, industrialists, and scientists have attained considerable achievements that can be shared with Qatar, Akbari underscored.

Facilitating and improving trade ties, joint-venture production of goods, equipment, and services, and special attention to the transfer of technical know-how are among the fields of cooperation between the two countries, the official noted.

SD/TSN