The two countries need to boost mutual trade, said Head of the Iranian Trade Promotion Organization Hamid Safdel in a meeting with Nigerian Ambassador to Tehran Tukur Mani.
The D8 ministerial meeting is scheduled to be held in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, in the coming days.
Safdel underlined an important document is to be signed in the forthcoming conference of D8 commerce ministers under which tariffs on goods traded among member states will decrease gradually.
Safdel, who is also Iran’s deputy minister of industry, mines and trade, expressed hope the upcoming event will provide the opportunity for talks with top Nigerian officials in a bid to further expand Tehran-Abuja relations.
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For his part, the Nigerian ambassador said the two countries currently enjoy good economic and trade relations, but need to further expand mutual ties.
Iran and Nigeria are sitting on natural resources and oil reserves, and can work together in that area as well, said the Nigerian envoy.
He also described the upcoming D8 event as an ideal opportunity for talks on the Iran-Nigeria Joint Economic Commission.
The D8 groups eight Islamic countries, namely Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
The D8 group, with a population of one billion people, has a combined market value of one trillion dollars. The group is determined to boost its trade volume to USD 500 billion by 2018.
MNA
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Publish Date: 23 June 2013 - 09:09
TEHRAN, Jun. 23 (MNA) – A top Iranian official says the upcoming conference of the Group of Eight Developing Countries (D8) will serve as an ideal opportunity for Iran and Nigeria to discuss promotion of mutual ties.