Deputy Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus Dmitry Kharitonchik has emphasized that Minsk is ready to implement all three suggestions proposed by Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Alireza Peymanpak to develop mutual trade ties.

TPO reported on Wednesday that a meeting for coordination of the 15th joint Iran-Belarus economic commission was held virtually with the participation of Peymanpak, Kharitonchik, as well as Iran's ambassador to Minsk Saeed Yari, and Ambassador of Belarus to Tehran Dmitry Koltsov.

The envoys of both countries in the meeting reached an agreement to hold the 15th joint economic commission in Minsk in this summer.

At the beginning of the session, the head of the TPO underlined the need for programming for the implementation of the agreements of the joint commission, saying that the text of the agreements has been confirmed by the Iranian side, so Tehran hopes that the ministers of both countries will sign the agreements in the near future to finalize the accords.

According to the deputy minister of industry of Iran, the current 40 million dollars trade between the two countries is minor, so the figure is expected to reach an acceptable digit in the future.

Peymanpak further proposed that a trade delegation from Iran visit Belarus alongside the works are being done in the trade commission in order to pave the way for tradesmen of both nations to become familiar with the capacities of each other and take part in face-to-face sessions to reach better agreements.

He also suggested that a delegation of representatives from important and advanced industries from Iran visit Belarus to create a link between Iranian and Belarussian major industries.

In his last suggestion, the Iranian official pointed to mutual cooperation to create a north-south corridor with the aim of providing Belarus with the opportunity to export its products through Iran to the littoral states of the Persian Gulf, India, and eastern Africa.

For his part, Kharitonchik welcomed all three proposals, saying that Iran has good experiences in trade, which can help develop bilateral relations.

Belarus is prepared to pave the ground for Iranian businesses and representatives of industries to hold meetings with their Belarussian counterparts, he said, adding that Minsk can host Iranian delegations in joint commission as well as trade and industrial committees.

The Belarussian ambassador in Tehran referred to good relations between Belarus and the TPO, adding that Minsk welcomes all proposals and the Belarussian side will pave the way for discussing the suggestions in the upcoming joint commission meeting.

The Iranian ambassador to Minks, for his turn, emphasized the need for preparing infrastructure for the expansion of trade between the two countries, noting that easing issuance of visas for tradesmen and truck drivers can help realize all goals proposed by the joint commission.

In a March meeting in Minsk, the Iranian ambassador to Belarus and Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko called for strengthening of bilateral ties between the two nations.

 

 

By IRNA�