TEHRAN– Iran-Algeria joint industrial committee would resume activities before June 2016, said Algeria’s Minister of Industry and Mines Abdul Salam Bushoarb in the Iran-Algeria Business Forum on December 17 in Algiers.

The forum was chaired by Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, according to the IRNA news agency.

Speaking at the event, Sellal called on Algerian business firms to use the opportunities offered by the Iranian economy to increase cooperation in the fields of industry, mining and agriculture.

Meanwhile, Bushoarb invited Iranian firms to invest in Algerian market in a bid to launch long-term economic partnership.

He said by restoring Iran-Algeria joint industrial committee, first established in 2003, the two sides could strengthen industrial ties.

During the event, the two countries signed eight memorandums of understanding in different fields such as technical cooperation between the two sides’ Ministries of Labor.

The Iran-Algeria Business Forum was part of Jahangiri’s two-day trip, during which he visited Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and other senior officials.

Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian, Minister of Justice Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Central Bank of Iran Governor Valiollah Seif, Chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Mohsen Jalalpour and Head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) Valiollah Afkhamirad accompanied the vice president during the visit to Algeria.

Iran-Algeria first industrial cooperation conference was held in 2010 in Tehran when the two sides signed 11 memorandums of understanding.

SJ/MA/