Iran’s Commerce Minister, Mohammad Reza Shariatmadari said that due to the good political relations between the two counties, development of economic relations is very essential, adding that commercial transaction between the two countries was about $300m last year “that is not a satisfactory figure”.
The minister stated that Iran has been announced as top producer of 35 kinds of agricultural crops by FAO and has high potentials to expand its cooperation with Uzbekistan.
Shariatmadari announced that Iran plans to establish a permanent trade center in Uzbekistan to supply customs facilities and issue visas for traders.
He stated that the trade-transport document signed between the two countries during the Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s last visit to the country had positively influenced bilateral economic relations.
Iran’s minister said that the exhibition on Iranian goods to be held in Tashkent on December 2004 will create a good opportunity to develop the two counties’ cooperation.
The Uzbek Commerce Minister, on his part stressed that Iran is one of the important countries in the region that enjoys vast financial resources.
The Uzbek minister added that transport Corridor Project is one of the largest international projects that will pass through Tehran, Mashhad, Zahedan, Bandar Abbas and Chabahar to end in Afghanistan.
VA-MSK/HL/RA/MA
END
MNA