TEHRAN- Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) will hold an Iran-Cuba business forum on Monday.

The forum will be held by the ICCIMA’s International Affairs Department concurrent with the meeting of Iran-Cuba Joint Economic Committee and trip of a Cuban trade delegation to Iran.

ICCIMA Head Gholam-Hossein Shafeie and Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz as well as the representatives of some Cuban companies will participate in the forum to be held at the place of ICCIMA.

The participating Cuban companies are active in the fields of foodstuffs and food industries, medicine and vaccine, oil and oil products.

In a meeting between ICCIMA head and Cuban Ambassador to Iran Alberto González Casals at the place of ICCIMA on April 19, Shafeie referred to the holding of the Iran-Cuba Joint Economic Committee meeting in Tehran in May, and suggested developing a specific model for promoting economic cooperation between the two countries and noted that the two sides should sign a memorandum of understanding at the Joint Committee meeting for economic cooperation based on the mentioned model.

During the meeting, the two sides also expressed the need for removing transportation barriers as a prerequisite for expanding trade ties.

The officials also emphasized the need for establishing direct flights between Tehran and Havana in order to boost economic exchanges.

Also, in last October, Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) held a webinar on Iran-Cuba trade opportunities in collaboration with the Iranian embassy in Cuba.

The webinar covered a variety of subjects including opportunities for developing economic and trade relations between the two countries' private sectors and the challenges and obstacles faced by the two sides’ traders.

The event was attended by Iranian Ambassador in Havana Mohammad Hadi Sobhani, TCCIMA Deputy Head for International Affairs Hessamedin Hallaj, TCCIMA Secretary-General Bahman Eshqi, Cuban Ambassador to Tehran Alberto Gonzalez, and the President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba Antonio Luis Carricarte Corona.

In that webinar, the participants expressed their views on the cooperation capacities of the private sectors of the two countries.

Speaking in the online meeting, Eshqi noted that the U.S. sanctions could be considered an opportunity for Iran and Cuba to expand economic ties in line with political cooperation.

“Despite the economic differences and the geographical distance between the two countries, Iran and Cuba are facing common challenges and have been facing the problems caused by sanctions for many years and have the experience of trade under the shadow of sanctions. The private sectors of the two countries can formulate a joint plan to continue cooperation and turn it into a joint roadmap,” Eshqi said.

Eshghi proposed the establishment of a virtual TCCIMA office in the Cuban Chamber of Commerce and added: "By opening this office, the information of the members of the chambers of commerce of the two countries, their services, products, and capacities can be exchanged and made available to the other side."

Further in the online event, Sobhani referred to the good political relations between Iran and Cuba over the past 42 years and noted that unfortunately, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has not progressed in line with political cooperation.

Finally, Gonzalez for his part expressed the Cuban private sector’s interest in increasing trade between Iran and Cuba.

He welcomed the Tehran Chamber's proposal to open a virtual office in the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, saying: "Such activities will be very effective in promoting economic relations between the two sides."

Meanwhile, two weeks ago, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji traveled to Havan to meet with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and discuss expansion of economic ties.

During the meeting with Diaz-Canel, the two sides also signed two MOUs to expand cooperation between the two countries in various economic sectors including energy and agriculture.

In his visit to Cuba, Oji also met with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz and discussed ways for the two countries to work together in the energy sector.

MA/MA