TEHRAN – Officials, businessmen and entrepreneurs from Iran and Italy gathered together in Milan on Friday to discuss ways of expanding economic cooperation, IRNA reported.

As reported, Iranian Ambassador to Italy Hamid Bayat and representatives of Iran-Italy Joint Chamber of Commerce were among the attendees of the business forum which was held following the visit of an Iranian trade delegation to the European country.

Addressing the forum, the Iranian ambassador underlined the two countries’ positive economic and political relations and emphasized the need for further expansion of cooperation between the two sides’ private sectors.

Bayat also voiced the Iranian embassy’s complete readiness for supporting both Iranian and Italian businessmen in doing business in the two countries.

“The longstanding trade relations between Iran and Italy and the mutual trust and satisfaction of the two sides is considered a positive record in the two countries’ economic relations…. According to official statistics, Italy has been Iran's top trading partner among the EU countries during 2017 and 2018,” he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the ambassador mentioned the U.S. sanctions on Iran, saying that although the cruel sanctions have created some problems for the two countries’ [Iran and Italy] traders, they have not been able to halt the two sides’ trade relations, and Italian companies are still eager for working in Iran due to its huge potentials.

At the end of the event, B2B meetings were held between the two countries’ private sector representatives.

A 25-member Iranian trade delegation comprised of representatives of companies active in various fields including petrochemicals, stone and construction materials, industrial equipment, food, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, clothing and footwear, and insurance visited Italy to expand trade with their Italian counterparts.

EF/MA