TEHRAN- During a meeting between Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Head Hamid Zadboum and Uzbekistan’s deputy minister of investment and foreign trade, the two sides discussed the ways for strengthening their bilateral trade, TPO portal reported on Tuesday.

Zadboum has traveled to Tashkent accompanying an Iranian trade delegation including the head of Chabahar Free Trade Zone Organization and head of Mazandaran Province’s Chamber of Commerce for preliminary measures to be taken prior to the 13th meeting of Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Committee, which will be held in the Uzbek capital city from December 11 to 13.

During the meeting, TPO head referred to the significance of investment making by the two countries’ traders and industrialists in the other country in line with the agreements between the two sides’ senior officials.

Back in August, Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov had said that his country welcomes Iranian investors and private sector’s contribution to its economy.

Making the remarks in a meeting with Iran’s First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri and Iranian Transport Minister Mohammad Eslami, the Uzbek prime minister also said that the level of trade between the two countries has increased in recent months compared to the same period last year, however it is still not at the level it should be.

Jahangiri, for his part underlined the great economic capacities of Iran and Uzbekistan, saying that the two countries should take necessary measures to remove barriers to the trade development between the two countries so that the two sides could reach a comprehensive agreement on trade cooperation as soon as possible.

“The two countries’ economies can complement each other and Iran is ready to expand its relations with Uzbekistan in all areas,” the official added.

MA/MA