Belgium, Iran to Sign Customs Cooperation Agreement
The agreement will be signed for the Iranian side by Masoud Karbasian deputy minister for economy and finance and for Belgium by finance minister Didier Reynders.
"It is a very important agreement. It will open up the economic and commercial ties between our two countries,'' Karbasian, who arrived in Brussels yesterday at the head of a delegation, told IRNA.
He noted that Belgium plays a very significant role in customs affairs pointing that Brussels is the seat of the World Customs Organization.
Karbasian, who is also the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), said that Tehran has signed similar customs agreements with two other EU member states, Austria and Greece, during Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's recent visit to Vienna and Athens.
He said that Iran was also interested in signing a customs cooperation agreement with the EU.
M.H. Afshar, director general of IRICA's international cooperation directorate, told IRNA that the agreement includes exchange of information to fight drug trafficking, smuggling of goods and grant the right to customs officers of Belgium and Iran to take part in customs investigations in each other's country.
Further it includes exchange of information on tariffs, origin of goods and value of goods.
"This agreement will open up trade relations and commercial exchanges between the two countries," Afshar told IRNA.
On Tuesday, Karbasian met Madeleine Doulliez, director general of Belgium's customs and excise administration, and discussed the possibility of signing a MOU between the two countries on a training program for customs officials.
Karbasian also met the secretary general of the World Customs Organization (WCO) , Michel Danet, in Brussels Tuesday.
In the meeting, Danet, referring to Iran's wide experience in customs affairs, proposed that Iran should play a role in promoting customs cooperation between WCO and Afghanistan.
The Iranian side welcomed the proposal on the trilateral cooperation that will also include training of Afghan customs personnel.