TEHRAN – Iran’s private sector is ready to participate in large-scale technical and engineering projects in Indonesia, the head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) said, calling for closer cooperation between the chambers of commerce of the two countries to facilitate joint business activity.

Speaking at a meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to Tehran Rolliansyah Soemirat, ICCIMA Head Samad Hassanzadeh said the chamber is determined to expand trade ties with Indonesia and has placed the exchange of business delegations and commercial information between the two private sectors high on its agenda.

Hassanzadeh described Iran and Indonesia, with a combined population of nearly 400 million people, as natural partners, particularly in halal industries. He said Iran is interested in hosting Indonesian trade delegations at specialized exhibitions and dispatching Iranian business groups to Indonesia.

He noted Iran’s unilateral visa waiver for Indonesian citizens and said facilitating business visas for Iranian traders would help boost bilateral trade, tourism and medical tourism.

Despite international sanctions, Hassanzadeh said Iran has developed significant domestic capabilities in advanced technologies, including petrochemicals, food processing, agriculture and artificial intelligence, meeting international standards. He added that Iran has strong expertise in exporting technical and engineering services, including refinery, oil and petrochemical projects, which could support development programs in Indonesia and other Islamic countries.

The official said Iran can supply competitive products such as steel, bitumen, chemicals, power plant equipment, dried fruits, carpets, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, aluminum and construction materials, while Indonesia could meet Iran’s needs for timber, motorcycles, seafood, vegetable oils and industrial machinery. He said trade could be expanded through preferential trade arrangements or barter mechanisms.

Ambassador Soemirat said Jakarta is seeking to elevate economic ties with Tehran and narrow the gap toward a long-term trade target of $20 billion.

He urged faster finalization of a preferential trade agreement and said Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprises are keen to cooperate with Iranian partners, particularly in agriculture, energy and healthcare.

EF/MA

Photo: ICCIMA Head Samad Hassanzadeh (R) meets Indonesian Ambassador to Tehran Rolliansyah Soemirat on Sunday.