TEHRAN The head of the Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Chamber of Commerce announced the establishment of a permanent sales workplace for Iranian food industry products in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, while mentioning FATF-related constraints as the biggest challenge to trade in between the 2 countries.According to the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), Mousa Aghaei stated on Saturday that the sales workplace was released in cooperation with the Mazandaran Chamber of Commerce and the Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Chamber.He noted that the effort would considerably enhance bilateral cooperation.Aghaei specified that the current $500 million trade volume in between Iran and Uzbekistan is unsatisfactory.He highlighted that while Uzbek citizens and government authorities aspire to work together with Iranian businesses, difficulties such as FATF-related restrictions, transportation problems, and high tariffs have prevented trade expansion.Highlighting Irans advantages in engineering services, building and construction products, commercial production, farming equipment, and knowledge-based products, Aghaei noted that a current conference with Uzbekistans ambassador to Iran consisted of discussions on Irans entry into Uzbekistans knowledge-based market.
He stated the ambassador welcomed the proposition enthusiastically.In early January, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Tehran Fariddin Nasriev met with Ali Akbar Safaei, the former head of Irans Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), to talk about strengthening bilateral and local transportation and transit collaboration.The conference emphasized helping with trade in between the two nations, the PMO portal reported.As reported, conversations focused on enhancing multimodal transport in between Iran and Uzbekistan through Iranian ports in the countrys northern and southern regions.The PMO expressed readiness to swiftly address issues dealt with by Uzbek traders and organizations along local passages travelling through Iran.
The 2 sides also went over arranging mutual trade delegations, including check outs by Uzbek technical representatives, traders, and transport business to explore Irans port capacities for boosted transit choices within the framework of the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC).
Furthermore, the conference highlighted the significance of developing joint local passages to facilitate the smooth movement of Uzbek goods to Russia and India, leveraging Irans port facilities to accomplish the objectives set by the presidents of both nations.In a conference with a joint delegation from the Ministries of Agriculture, Trade, and Investment of Uzbekistan in Tehran in early December, 2024, Iranian Minister of Agriculture Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh stated that Iran is prepared to enhance cooperation with Uzbekistan in sharing farming experiences and technology.Referring to the 14th Iranian federal governments strategic vision to enhance relations with other nations, Nouri highlighted the effort taken by the President of Uzbekistan to foster worldwide relations, which has produced substantial chances for constructive cooperation between the 2 countries.He revealed Irans preparedness to provide the farming equipment that Uzbekistan needs, emphasizing that cooperation could include not only the direct export of products, however also the barter of products such as potatoes and legumes.Nouri likewise pointed out that Iran has an abundant history of over a century in agricultural research and is prepared to share its valuable experiences with Uzbekistan.During the meeting, Ibrohim Ergashev, head of the Plant Quarantine Service of Uzbekistan, stressed the value of financial cooperation in between the two countries, saying, Uzbekistan is devoted to developing and reinforcing trade relations with Iran, and needed planning has actually been undertaken in this regard.
On October 20, 2024, an authorities with Irans Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) stated that Iran and Uzbekistan strategy to increase their yearly trade exchanges to $5.0 billion and the 2 sides have actually reached a primary arrangement to sign a preferential trade contract (PTA) soon.Akbar Godari, the head of TPOs Central Asia, Caucasus, and Russia Office, referred to the financial arrangements reached between the two nations during the go to of Uzbekistans Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade to Iran, and stated: The efforts and desire of the 2 countries to develop trade exchanges have been formed, for that reason the 16th Joint Economic Committee conference of Iran and Uzbekistan will be hosted by Iran in March to increase trade exchanges.Also, conversations have been held relating to the information of a joint mutual fund in between the 2 countries that will be developed shortly, Godari added.Regarding the initial arrangements for the signing of a preferential trade contract in between Iran and Uzbekistan, the authorities stated: Last year, Abbas Ali-Abadi, the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade at the time, took a trip to Uzbekistan and talked about with his equivalent in Uzbekistan the conclusion of a preferential trade agreement.
For more than six months, the two countries talked about various elements of the arrangement consisting of the certificate of origin file, and evaluated and solved the difficulties ahead, and now initial arrangements have been made to sign this agreement.He underlined the function of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran in facilitating the trade relations between Iran and Uzbekistan, stating: The list of the goods that undergo preferential tariffs has actually been figured out, and the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran is trying to increase the number of products that undergo preferential tariffs in a brief period.On September 19, 2024, Uzbekistan capital Tashkent hosted an Iran-Uzbekistan company forum, in which authorities and businesspeople from the 2 sides exchanged views on methods of expanding mutual trade ties, the website of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) reported.Speaking at the online forum, ICCIMA Head Samad Hassanzadeh called for more improved exchanges between Iran and Uzbekistan.Hassanzadeh, who went to Uzbekistan on top of an organization delegation, underlined the development of new strategies to enhance financial relations as one of the goals of business forum and stressed the requirement to take serious steps in this regard from both sides.I would like to stress that in the brand-new environment of cooperation in between the 2 nations, it is essential to take serious actions to expand relations.
Benefiting from existing possible capabilities and chances can guarantee long-term economic relations in between the financial operators of Iran and Uzbekistan, the ICCIMA head said.Emphasizing the cultural affinities and friendship in between the 2 nations and the interest for cooperation in between the 2 countries and the 2 federal governments, he continued: As over the last few years, there have actually been 3 check outs at the presidential levels between the two countries.Currently, the establishment of the new federal government in Iran with the motto of getting rid of obstacles to foreign trade promises a brand-new chapter in Irans financial cooperation, specifically with local nations, the main added.Elsewhere in his remarks, Hassanzadeh noted that accomplishing financial objectives in between the 2 nations requires supplying the required facilities including banking and monetary, transportation, development of customs, change of trade tariffs, and exchange of technical knowledge.Currently, our primary goal for this year is to increase our existing $500 million trades to $1.0 billion, and we intend to achieve this by the end of the year, he said, including that Countless economic capabilities are available for the economic operators of the two countries, and this interest that is seen today for the cooperation of business, needs to be taken extremely seriously by the policy makers and authorities of the two countries.EF/ MA