TEHRAN – Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) plans to open a regional office in Africa to ensure regular commute of its fleet to the continent through direct shipping lines, Fars News Agency reported.

As reported, the decision for launching the mentioned office has been made concurrent with the visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Africa.

According to IRISL Deputy Head Amir Bayat, in addition to North and East Africa for which currently direct shipping lines have been launched, IRISL plans to expand its services in other regions of the continent.

President Raisi left Tehran for the African continent on Wednesday morning to visit Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Economic experts believe that the president's visit to Africa is providing the basis for increasing Iran's presence in the 60-billion-dollar economy of the African continent and will increase the level of activity of Iranian traders and businessmen in this continent.

Over the past 40 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has never given up on its principled policy towards Africa due to political and cultural commonalities, despite the sanctions, pressure and disruptions of the West, and has always maintained itself alongside the people and countries of Africa.

As reported, during the Iranian calendar years 1384 and 1385 (March 2005-March 2007), the relations between Iran and the African continent increased in terms of trade, but since 1386, the economic relations between Iran and Africa have decreased due to the economic crisis and cruel sanctions against Iran.

Surveys show that in the past years, due to the lack of restoration of economic relations with Africa, the amount of trade with the countries of this continent has remained at the level of $1.2 billion, but according to Mohammed-Sadeq Qanadzadeh, the director general of the Africa Department of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), facilitating the trade route with Africa is happening now and it is expected that the trade figure with this continent will reach $10 billion in the next three years.

In fact, good steps have been taken to use Africa's capacity, and Africa can be a suitable market for Iranian goods, Qanadzadeh stated.

Last year, the official referred to the beginning of the 13th government's measures to develop relations with the African continent, and said: "Over the past [Iranian calendar] year 1400 (ended on March 20, 2022), a series of measures have been initiated, which were resulted in the visit of about 60 African trade delegations, active presence in the exhibitions of this continent, the opening of 10 trade centers, and the dispatch of three commercial attachés.

EF/MA