The Head of the Iran Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) outlined the key objectives of the fourth Eurasia International Trade Exhibition and announced plans to hold the Iran-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Summit alongside the event.
This summit will feature officials from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and neighboring countries, News.Az reports, citing Iranian media.
According to the TPO’s public relations department report, Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, in a meeting for the fourth Eurasia International Trade Exhibition attended by a group of Iranian traders, businessmen, and some officials from the Iran Chamber of Commerce, pointed to the increase in Iran’s trade exchanges with Eurasia, stating: “It seems that the current trade volume is not proportionate to the existing trade capacities; although, based on eight-month statistics, Iran’s trade with Eurasian countries shows a 16 percent growth.”
According to the head of the Iran TPO, the private sector and Iranian traders have gained a good understanding of the Iran-Eurasia Free Trade Agreement and have utilized the opportunity to trade with Eurasian member countries, although there is still untapped capacity for trade with these nations.
Dehghan Dehnavi, who is also the deputy minister of industry, mining and trade, noting that Iran’s current trade value with Eurasian Economic Union member countries is less than five billion dollars, emphasized: “Our estimates indicate the trade capacity with these countries is at least 100 billion dollars, and if we can secure only five percent of this union’s trade, achieving a figure of 40 billion dollars in exports is not far-fetched.”
Further elaborating on holding the Iran-Eurasia International Trade Exhibition, the head of the Iran TPO said: “Exhibitions are the most organized tools for developing trade relations, and this exhibition started three years ago with the aim of developing trade with Eurasian Economic Union member countries. During this period, it has seen significant growth in terms of quality, and the presence of foreign guests. Last year, the president visited this exhibition, and this year, in its fourth edition, we have tried to plan beyond previous years. Fortunately, there has been good reception, and foreign guests are present at the exhibition.”
The official then announced the initiative of holding the Iran-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Summit on the sidelines of this international event, adding: “In this edition, by leveraging the experience and legacy of previous rounds, and in order to build upon them, we will have creative initiatives in holding this event. Therefore, government officials from the Eurasian Economic Union and neighboring countries have been invited to participate in this event because it is believed this summit can provide a platform for dialogue on bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation, and neighboring countries can also use Iran as a bridge for trade with Eurasia.”