TEHRAN- The 1st Joint Conference on Iran-South Korea Business Opportunities was held at the place of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) on Tuesday, the portal of ICCIMA reported.

The conference was attended by ICCIMA Vice President Pedram Soltani, Iranian Head of Iran-South Korea Joint Chamber of Commerce Hossein Tanhaie, South Korean Ambassador to Iran Ryu Jeong-hyun and several other officials and businessmen.

Addressing the event, Soltani referred to the 51-year-background of the mutual economic cooperation between the two sides saying that Iranian and South-Korean small and medium-sized companies can continue and improve their cooperation even under the current U.S.-led sanctions against Iran.

“U.S. attitude towards Iran is not a threat but an opportunity for Iran’s economy,” Soltani said, “the agreement between Germany and France for creating Europe’s intended novel financial system is a turning point which can resolve the present difficulties [of trade with Iran].” 

Iran-South Korea trade volume in 2017 surpassed $8 billion which has decreased down to $3.7 billion in 2018, Tanhaie lamented during his remarks in the event.
As he added, imports from South Korea has decreased from its previous $4 billion in 2017 to $2 billion in 2018.

“Trade transactions between the two sides have dropped due to U.S. sanctions against Iran which have created some difficulties in transportation sector,” he said, “however, the made obstacles can be overcome by the help of Europeans.”

Expressing his country’s tendency for expansion of all-out ties with Iran, the Korean ambassador, for his turn, said that “South Korea has planned the framework of its economic ties with Iran before re-imposition of U.S. sanctions against the country, and has been received some waivers under the sanctions era.”

“Iran and South Korea have traded oil and home appliances till the present time and we plan to develop our ties in other sectors such as science, culture and joint research,” Jeong-hyun added.

HJ/MA