TEHRAN- The first meeting of Iran-Brazil agriculture advisory committee is going to be held on November 21 and 22 in Brazil.

In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times on Wednesday, Brazilian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Eumar Roberto Novacki, who was visiting Iran on top of a Brazilian trade delegation, referred to the decision for holding this committee as the main achievement of their stay in Tehran, where they visited a number of Iranian governmental and private sector officials and also participated in a B2B meeting with Iranian traders.

The Brazilian official announced that a memorandum of understanding on exchanging agricultural experiences is planned to be signed between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and Iran’s Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) in the first day of the mentioned committee’s meeting, saying: “I believe it will be a very positive movement for the both sides.”

“As our country is a source in terms of agricultural research, if there is a good trade relations between the two sides and we are some good trade partners, there will be also some better scientific-technical ties in this field”, he added.

 ‘Resolving delayed issues main objective’

Novacki further mentioned expediting the process of finalizing any issue in expansion of mutual agricultural relations, which has been delayed, the main target of the advisory committee and said: “Establishing this committee is the first step.”

“As the second step we hope that  the committee will receive a good welcome  from the Iranian government and also private sector and we will have good presence of Iranian companies there”, he added, “The third step will be our presence in the Iranian exhibitions, as we will participate in Iran Agrofood Exhibition with a large Brazilian delegation.”

“In addition to the formal meetings to be held between the two sides’ officials we plan to have a Brazil-Iran business forum to lay the ground for B2B meetings between Brazilian and Iranian traders”, Novacki further announced.

 ‘Brazil welcomes Iranian raisin, saffron, pistachio’

The Brazilian deputy minister said the committee will investigate Brazil’s more presence in the Iranian market and also Iran’s presence in the Brazilian market.

Any Iranian high-quality product for export to Brazil could be mentioned to be investigated in the committee; he said and mentioned raisin, saffron and pistachio as some of the Iranian agricultural products apt for the Brazilian market.

Brazil is a market of over 200 million people, so it has the potential for accepting many things, he underlined.

“Anyway, there is a good trade relations when the two sides benefit from it’, the official noted.

 ‘Banking problems main hurdle’

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Brazilian deputy minister mentioned banking problems the main barrier in the way of expanding trade between the two countries.

“This is the main issue complained by Brazilian and Iranian traders. Our ambassador to Iran has been trying for years to remove this problem and apparently some successes have been recently achieved in this due. In a way that the Central Bank of Brazil has announced that there is no problem for banking ties with Iranian banks and presence of Iranian banks in Brazil”,  he announced.

“If we can resolve the banking problem, it will definitely have many benefits for the both sides”, he asserted.

“We are trying for removing the existing problems, including the banking ones and also the high tariffs, in the way of expanding bilateral trade and the advisory committee will be a good source to investigate these issues”, Novacki stated.

“We see Iranian market a potential market for our more presence and I believe that we can boost our relations. Presence of Brazilian delegations like this one in Iran indicates determination for improving ties”, the Brazilian official highlighted. 

 ‘Brazil can improve Iran’s trade with Mercosur members’

Asked about the role that Brazil can play in improving Iran’s trade ties with the other Latin American countries, the official said: “Our focus is first on improving our mutual relations with Iran and then as a member of Mercosur we can enhance Iran’s trade relations with the other member states.”