TEHRAN- Iranian Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati emphasized the necessity of developing the maritime-oriented economy, and said: “We have no choice but to develop in this area and we will use all our efforts.”

Emphasizing the necessity of decentralization from Tehran, the minister said the 14th government believes in focusing on the development of areas prone to growth, especially in the south of the country, in the form of developing a sea-based economy.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has referred to the government's prioritization of the maritime-oriented economy and the importance of the prosperity of this sector on the country's growth, development and prosperity, and stated that the government is determined to implement maritime-oriented development plans.

He made the remarks in the third meeting of review and analysis of maritime-oriented development plans with emphasis on Makran coastal area, which was held on November 17 under his chairmanship.

During the meeting, reports of various organizations on the process of advancing the goals set in the previous meetings were presented, and the structure, position and activities of the organization in charge of the development of Makran beaches were discussed.

Pointing out that the maritime-oriented economy plays an essential role in the development of countries that have access to seas, the president said: “One of our main priorities in the 14th government is the need to pursue and develop the maritime-oriented economy, for prosperity and economic development in the country.”

He further emphasized: “We should consider the concerns of the Leader in the national outlook document, general policies and development plans”, adding: “It is necessary to design our development plans with a broad but realistic view so that we can be at the top in the region in terms of economy and technology.”

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), in a recent report, has underlined the importance of the country’s maritime capacities and the role that the sector can play in developing the country’s economy.

According to the report, maritime sector in Iran has very high capacity in various fields including trade, ports and shipping due to the country’s strategic location, long coastal strip in the north and south and access to open waters, and can bring economic prosperity to the country.

“About a third of the country's borders are water borders, so we cannot ignore port and shipping activities because for a country that has long water borders and access to open waters, the prosperity of shipping and maritime trade is essential. Therefore, the government should pay full attention to the strengths and weaknesses of this sector and make the best use of the current capacities with proper planning,” the report read.

Increasing the share of the maritime sector in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) under the framework of the newly proposed maritime-oriented policy should be one of the most important concerns of the government, which can be achieved with proper planning, the PMO said.

The share of the sea in the gross domestic product in advanced coastal countries such as the European Union is 50 percent, but the figure is not significant in Iran despite having more than 5,800 kilometers of coastal strip, and this is despite the fact that there are huge capacities for the transit of goods from Central Asian countries.

In late September, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the 14th government is determined to formulate and implement additional and more comprehensive plans and programs in the field of maritime-oriented development.

Aref said that the government has prepared the initial draft of the country’s maritime-oriented development plan.

He called on the Iranian authorities in charge of the country’s maritime sector to strengthen logistics and corridor routes, facilitate entering new markets, use smart technologies, strengthen employment, create large and small-scale production units in ports and coastal areas, modernize the commercial fleet and port equipment as well as the railway and road lines, and train responsible and efficient workforces for maritime-oriented development while preserving and safeguarding the marine environment in compliance with international regulations and conventions.

The official also emphasized the necessity for the country’s scholars and think tanks to help the government realize its plans for developing the maritime sector.

MA