TEHRAN: The Iranian Minister of Economy and Finance Ali Tayyebnia expressed optimism in strengthening trade relations with Brazil, after pledging to raise about five billion dollars the commerce with the South American country.
Tayyebnia was one of the Iranian officials who held meetings in recent hours with the Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Armando Monteiro, who led a government and business delegation during the visit to the Persian nation.
Representatives of the Iranian business community noted that both parties fixed the volume of bilateral trade as an aspiration they described like a new chapter in ties, while strengthening political and diplomatic relations.
‘Based on the agreements, we will do our best to increase the volume of economic exchange between the two countries to five billion dollars a year, “said the Iranian minister.
Some of the agreements signed are related to customs cooperation, elimination of double taxation and encouragement of mutual investments, all of which is a prerequisite to further expand ties, he insisted.
He mentioned as other priorities to achieve that purpose the development of banking and insurance relationships, issues that were discussed with members of the high-level delegation of businessmen from the state and private sectors of the South American giant.
The visit is a good opportunity to conclude agreements on trade and investment in public and private spheres, added Tayyebnia and announced that the meeting of the binational joint economic commission will be held in Brazil in the first quarter of 2016.
Similarly, Monteiro met with Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh, to whom he expressed the readiness of Brasilia to buy liquefied natural gas from Tehran.
The South American minister arrived on Monday to explore ways to strengthen economic relations and business, hence he traveled accompanied by executives of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, the Central Bank, the Foreign Ministry and other authorities, businessmen and economic activists.
Yesterday, Zarif stressed that ties between the two states are among the top priorities of Iranian foreign policy.