TEHRAN - The head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) has said the country seeks to reach one billion dollars in annual trade with Qatar, expressing hope that economic cooperation between Tehran and Doha will take an upward trend with the holding of the two countries’ Joint Economic Committee meeting.

Speaking in an online meeting with Saleh Alkhulaifi, the deputy Industry and Commerce minister of Qatar, Mohammad-Ali Dehghan Dehnavi emphasized the need to facilitate trade between the two countries, IRNA reported.

Referring to the extensive political and cultural relations between the two countries, Dehghan Dehnavi said: "Despite the efforts of both sides, economic relations between Tehran and Doha have not reached the desired level."

“Fruits and food products are Iran’s top exported items to Qatar, and it cannot be expected that the trade between the two countries will exceed one billion dollars with the export of such products, the official said.

According to the TPO head, the challenges in developing trade with Qatar are clear, and Iran is trying to increase the volume of trade with Qatar by developing a well-considered and coherent work plan.

Alkhulaifi for his part stated that the strict customs regulations in Qatar affect all countries, saying: "We will work to expedite the clearance of Iranian goods from Qatari ports and issue visas to Iranian businessmen, and we hope that the prospect of a billion-dollar trade between the two countries will be realized in the near future."

EF/