BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/10/2006

Iran, Belarus Stress Development of Trade Ties

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Commerce Minister Mas'oud Mir-Kazemi called for the serious deepening of ties and implementation of agreements and joint projects with Belarus.

Speaking in a meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergey Martynov here on Sunday, Mir-Kazemi noted the enthusiasm of the two nations' presidents for the development of mutual political and economic ties.

He also pointed to the existence of desirable potentials and called for the boosting of relations and exchanges between the two states.

The minister said that Iran-Belarus ties could be promoted very rapidly through a precise and integrated planning, and further stressed the need for the immediate implementation of the agreements reached at the two countries' joint commissions and called for the removal of the barriers existing in the way of the performance of the two sides' private sectors and traders.

He also named establishment of banking relations for the provision of facilities and opening of L/Cs, establishment of institutes of standard for the quality control-related activities, provision of the possibilities required for the official activity of businessmen and removal of the existing barriers in the way of the issuance of entry visas for merchants and traders among the most effective factors which would develop the two countries' economic and trade ties.

The Commerce Minister also voiced Iran's enthusiasm for concluding agreements over the list of goods subject to preferred tariffs and for encouraging private sector's investments, and further expressed Tehran's preparedness to provide services in health and hygiene, medical equipment, and pharmaceutical areas.

He also said that Iran is keen to launch joint investments in petrochemical, auto-manufacturing, foodstuff, construction material and agricultural processing industries.

Noting the historical and cultural commonalities shared by the Islamic Republic of Iran with some regional states, Mir-Kazemi also called for Iran-Belarus investments and provision of service to third countries.

For his part, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergey Martynov voiced his country's enthusiasm for developing trade ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and viewed the holding of joint commissions by the two states as among the proper and useful means for doing so.

He also referred to the study and implementation of joint activities, and spoke of the launching of giant joint ventures in areas of auto-manufacturing in Belarus and truck manufacturing in Iran.

The official further spoke of the urgency for the holding of banking agreements and called for the provision of acceptable banking conditions as well as settlement of customs related problems, given the special relations of the two countries.

Source:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8508010520