TEHRAN - Heads of Iranian and Omani chambers of commerce met in Tehran on Monday to discuss expansion of cooperation in various areas, the Portal of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) reported.

Head of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) Redha bin Juma Al Saleh met with Gholam-Hossein Shafeie at the place of ICCIMA.

In the meeting, Shafeie stressed the long history of political and economic relations between Iran and Oman and noted that the two countries have the capacity to expand their trade relations to a great extent.

He mentioned the first Iran-Oman Virtual Expo which was launched in late September by the Iran-Oman Joint Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with ICCIMA and, noted that this exhibition was an opportunity to introduce the capabilities and the latest technological products and initiatives used in the industrial and manufacturing fields of the two countries and was well received.

The official expressed hope that such events would be held more often and will continue to be held in the future.

Shafeie further mentioned some of the problems that Iranian traders and businessmen are currently facing in trade with Oman, saying: “there are still problems related to banking relations for Iranian investors in Oman, so we request that these problems be resolved by the relevant authorities.”

“One of our goals is to increase trade between the two countries. [in this regard] joint investment is an effective factor for the dynamism and stability of economic relations between the two countries and it requires the necessary coordination and support from the governments of Iran and Oman,” the ICCIMA head said.

He further stated that a meeting of the two countries’ joint economic committee is to be held in Muscat in the near future.

Elsewhere in the meeting, Al Saleh spoke about the strong and historical relations between Iran and Oman, saying: "A lot of work must be done to achieve the set goals in the field of trade. We lost two golden years due to the coronavirus outbreak and must work to compensate for them and increase the volume of trade between the two countries and remove obstacles.”

“Logistical measures must be taken to be able to benefit from the free trade agreement between the two countries. Undoubtedly, there are many obstacles for Iranian investors in Oman, but we are negotiating with the relevant officials in this regard,” he said.

The official further noted that barter trade between the two sides is one of the important strategies that is being pursued in developing trade exchanges.

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Photo: ICCIMA Head Gholam-Hossein Shafeie (R) and Head of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Redha bin Juma Al Saleh