TEHRAN – An Iranian lawmaker has said that the parliament is drafting a bill that aims to boost Iran’s economic diplomacy abroad. 

The new agenda will be carried out by Iran’s embassies across the world, according to Mehdi Saadati, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. 

“Increasing communication with other countries in the world, except for the Zionist regime and countries that are trying to impose domination on the Islamic Republic, is one of our policies for economic development in various sectors,” Saadati said. “Based on this, the plan to require the government to plan and implement economic diplomacy with the approach of strengthening value chains in industrial, production and service fields has been on the agenda of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament for a long time.”

He added, “In more than four decades since the Islamic Revolution, the activity of the political sector of Iran's embassies and consulates has always been stronger than the economic one. That’s why this bill was tabled in order to take advantage of the economic capabilities of Iran’s embassies in other countries.” 

Saadati said many institutions are involved in drafting the bill. “The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Intelligence, Interior, Trade Development Organization, Majlis Research Center and other institutions expressed their comprehensive opinions and suggestions for drafting the bill,” the lawmaker continued. 

He added, “Of course, most of the ambassadors in different countries have some economic plans on their agenda, but it is rarely seen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that a written plan is considered for the set strategies and goals.”

Saadati noted, “Identifying the resources of different countries in political and economic fields and improving communication with their officials, public and private companies are among the issues envisioned in this plan.”

According to the lawmaker, “Many foreign countries have a lot of interest and motivation to increase economic relations with the Islamic Republic, and in this context, Iranian ambassadors can play a valuable role in improving these relations.”

 He pointed out, “The aim of this plan is to systematize the activity of the economic sector of the embassies of the Islamic Republic. Because Iran has a privileged position for other countries due to its strategic location, and the economic diplomacy of embassies becoming more active will cause positive developments for the country.”