TEHRAN – In a meeting between the head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) and Serbia’s ambassador to Tehran, the two sides stressed the need for expanding trade ties by promoting the exchange of trade delegations.

As reported by the ICCIMA portal, Hossein Selahvarzi and Dragan Todorovic discussed the obstacles facing the commercial cooperation of the two countries in the meeting and explored the latest information related to the economic opportunities and capacities of the two countries.

Referring to the emerging economy of Serbia, Selahvarzi said: "The ICCIMA is focusing a lot on promoting international activities, and in this regard, countries with economic advantages are given priority; therefore, with the help of the Serbian Embassy, we can take good steps to develop business relations.”

He mentioned the visit of an Iranian trade delegation to Serbia in 2022, saying: “In that visit, solutions were agreed upon in the form of some payment mechanisms and now we should focus more on implementing those mechanisms.”

The ICCIMA head further underlined the advantages of trade relations between Iran and Serbia and continued: “ICCIMA is ready to exchange trade delegations with Serbia and as the first step we will get in touch with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce to make the necessary arrangements for receiving a trade delegation from Serbia.”

Todorovic, for his part, congratulated Selahvarzi on his election as the new head of the ICCIMA and welcomed his proposal regarding the visit of a Serbian trade delegation to Iran, saying: “In October or November this year, the joint economic committee of Iran and Serbia will be held in Tehran, and a business delegation can also be sent to Iran at the same time as this event.”

“Also, in ten days, the speaker of the Serbian Parliament is going to visit Iran, and after two weeks, our Deputy Foreign Minister will also travel to Tehran. Arrangements can also be made for the presence of business delegations during these trips,” he added.

During a meeting between the private sector representatives of Iran and Serbia in Tehran in late May, the two sides discussed ways of expanding mutual economic ties.

In the meeting which was attended by acting head of the ICCIMA Department of International Affairs Niloufar Asadi and a delegation of Serbian private sector representatives, the two sides stressed the need for promoting joint investment and production in order to increase the level of trade.

According to Asadi, establishing a barter trade mechanism between the two sides can also significantly boost economic relations between the two countries.

The officials also explored common areas for cooperation including agriculture, petrochemicals, tourism, and especially health tourism.

The head of the Serbian delegation for his part expressed his country’s readiness for welcoming Iranian economic delegations in the future, saying: “In addition to cooperation between the science and technology parks of the two countries, we are looking for trade in agricultural products, especially the import of chemical fertilizers from Iran and the export of corn, soybeans, and other products.”

Meanwhile, in a meeting with the former Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Alireza Peyman-Pak in Belgrade in July 2022, Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic announced his country's serious determination to develop economic relations with Iran noting that the volume of trade between the two countries has the potential to increase and Serbia supports this issue.

Selakovic referred to the 80-year history of official relations between the two countries and expressed the determination of the president and the government of the Republic of Serbia to expand economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Underlining the good political relations between the two countries, he said that the volume of mutual trade has the potential to increase and the Serbian government is ready to take the necessary measures to realize this goal.

Peyman-Pak, for his part, referred to the capacities and capabilities of Iranian companies and explained Iran’s roadmap for the development of economic cooperation with Serbia, and noted that several mechanisms have been considered to realize the increase in the volume of trade between the two countries through the private sectors.

He also emphasized the role of the chambers of commerce of Iran and Serbia in promoting trade relations between the two countries.

EF/MA

Photo: ICCIMA Head Hossein Selahvarzi (R) and Serbia’s Ambassador to Tehran Dragan Todorovic