TEHRAN – Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic has announced his country's serious determination to develop economic relations with Iran noting that the volume of trade between the two countries has the potential to increase and Serbia supports this issue, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Speaking in a meeting with Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Alireza Peyman-Pak in Belgrade, Selakovic referred to the 80-year history of official relations between the two countries and expressed the determination of the president and the government of the Republic of Serbia to expand economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Underlining the good political relations between the two countries, he said that the volume of mutual trade has the potential to increase and the Serbian government is ready to take the necessary measures to realize this goal.

According to Selakovic, with the arrangements made, the next meeting of the two countries’ Joint Economic Committee will be held in Tehran in the near future and the necessary preparations are also being made for the visit of the president of Serbia to Iran.

Peyman-Pak, for his part, referred to the capacities and capabilities of Iranian companies and explained Iran’s roadmap for the development of economic cooperation with Serbia, and noted that several mechanisms have been considered to realize the increase in the volume of trade between the two countries through the private sectors.

He also emphasized the role of the chambers of commerce of Iran and Serbia in promoting trade relations between the two countries.

***Establishing an Iran-Serbia joint chamber of commerce

On the same day, Peyman-Pak also visited the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia to hold talks with the private sector representatives of the country.

During the visit, the Iranian official suggested establishing a joint Iran-Serbia chamber of commerce to facilitate trade exchanges between the private sectors of the two countries.

He expressed Iran’s readiness for improving the structure of the two countries’ economic cooperation that is currently pursued under the framework of a joint economic committee.

“Iran and Serbia's economies are complementary, not competitors, and this is a special privilege in joint cooperation,” the TPO head said.

He also pointed to the formation of a joint working group between the two sides and said: “This working group can help solve the problems and challenges of trade between the two countries, most of which are logistical problems related to transportation.”

Further in this meeting, the Serbian side also welcomed the idea for the establishment of a joint chamber of commerce and underlined common investment opportunities in Iran and Serbia.

Peyman-Pak who has led an economic delegation to Serbia arrived in Belgrade on Monday and was officially welcomed by the country’s Deputy Economy Minister and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

Deputy head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Hossein Selahvarzi and a group of businessmen active in various fields accompany the TPO head during this visit.

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Photo: TPO Head Alireza Peyman-Pak (4th L) in a meeting at Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia on Tuesday