TEHRAN – Head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture met with the Australian Ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday to discuss reviving the two countries’ economic relations.

In the meeting, which took place at the TCCIMA place, the officials stressed the need to identify ways of facilitating bilateral trade and overcoming obstacles created by the U.S. sanctions for utilizing the capacities of the Iranian business community and the Australian economic actors, the TCCIMA portal reported.

Underlining the need for strengthening the economic relations between the two sides’ private sectors, TCCIMA Head Massoud Khansari voiced the readiness of TCCIMA specialized committees for cooperation with Australian foreign trade experts and for sharing the experiences and capacities of the Iranian private sector.

He stressed that the level of economic relations between Iran and Australia can be improved even during the sanctions and that both sides need to identify and implement ways to facilitate relations.

In this regard, Khansari pointed to the possibility of expanding ties in areas like agriculture, environment, and mining industries and announced the readiness of the Tehran Chamber to cooperate with the Australian Embassy in Iran to restore relations.

The Australian Ambassador Lyndall Sachs for her part noted that some Australian companies are currently operating in Iran and that the two countries' relations in the fields of minerals and mining industry as well as higher education are ongoing and stable.

Sachs also voiced her country’s readiness for expansion of cooperation in new areas.

The envoy said that despite the sanctions, Australia's trade office in Iran is open and continues to operate.

She underlined the ability of Iranian entrepreneurs based in Australia to improve relations between the two countries, noting that there is now a large community of Iranian businessmen and traders living in Australia that are ready to expand their economic relations with Iran through their offices in the countries of the region and the Persian Gulf nations.

EF/MA

Photo: TCCIMA Head Masoud Khansari (L) met with the Australian Ambassador to Tehran Lyndall Sachs in Tehran on Wednesday.