TEHRAN (FNA)- Belgian investors are keen to return to Iran's lucrative market and take part in the country's economic activities, a senior trade official announced on Wednesday."Belgian investors are willing to invest in Iran's projects following the endorsement of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Belgium," Head of Iran-Belgium Joint Chamber of Commerce Mohsen Khalili Araqi said.
He further hoped for a boost in the volume of Iran-Belgium trade exchanges in view of the recent MoU signed between the two countries.
Khalili Araqi reiterated that the number of Belgian investors willing to invest in Iran will increase in the near future, and said, "Iran imports medicine and camera films from Belgium and exports fruits and dried fruits to that country."
Last month, Bonds and Liquidation Central Depositing Company announced that more than 70 foreigner parties have invested in Iran's capital market in the first eight months of the current Iranian year.
"For the first time in the history of the Iranian capital market, a sum of 72 foreign investors have entered this market since March 21, 2014," the company said.
It noted that the investors from Britain, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, India, Turkey, Lebanon, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Norway, Greece, Indonesia, the Maldives, Hong Kong, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan have entered Iran's capital market over the past 8 months.
Earlier this year, Head of Irans chamber of Commerce Gholam-Hossein Shafeyee underlined Tehrans willingness to expand economic cooperation with Brussels.
We ask the Belgium-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce to pave the way for the expansion of economic ties with Iran, Shafeyee said in a meeting with Vice-President of the Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce Jacques Glorieux in Tehran in February.
The chairman of Irans Chamber of Commerce said Belgiums strategic position has been a driving force behind Iran's intention for expanding bilateral trade ties with that country.
Iran pursues development of economic relations (with other countries) on the basis of shared interests, Shafeyee said.
He also voiced displeasure in the low level of the two countries' trade exchanges that he said amounted to only USD800 million, and stressed that the private sectors of Iran and Belgium should become more active in a bid to increase their mutual economic cooperation.
Shafeyee said the world countries are today in tight rivalry over ties and investment in Iran, and said, "Those who move sooner and better will have a bigger share of this market".
Following the implementation of Geneva nuclear accord struck by Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in November 24, the ground has been paved for more participation of the European countries in the Iranian lucrative market. Several European states have so far sent their trade delegations to Iran to study chances for widening trade ties and exchanges with Tehran, while more EU member states are preparing to send similar delegations to the Islamic Republic.
By Fars News Agency
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