TEHRAN- Samad Hassanzadeh, Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), met with the head of the Turkey-Iran Business Council at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK), and the head of the Iran-Turkey Joint Chamber of Commerce, in Istanbul.

In this meeting, the ICCIMA Head, enumerating investment opportunities in Iran and areas of joint cooperation between Iran and Turkey, announced: Through the efforts of the International Affairs Department of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, more than 200 investment opportunities have been prepared in Iran to attract non-Iranian investors, and we are interested in Turkey and its private sector having extensive and sustainable participation in these projects.

The ICCIMA head referred to the long history of economic and trade relations between Iran and Turkey and said: Turkey, with a very rich civilization since ancient times, is the largest economy in the West Asia and Asia and has been one of Iran's biggest partners, and Turkey, as a connection point to Europe, is a very important country for Iran.

The Head of Iran Chamber called for security, peace, and tranquility for all nations and countries and said: For several years, Iran has faced problems due to some sanctions restrictions and international disputes, but the Turkish government and nation have always stood by the Iranian people; for this reason, as an Iranian citizen and a representative of Iran's private sector, I appreciate Turkey's support for Iran during the Sacred Defense era, the coronavirus period, the 12-day war, and the recent imposed war.

While condemning the aggressive attacks that led to the martyrdom of the Leader, senior commanders, and prominent officials of Iran, he stated: In this war, we suffered very heavy losses, but it was proven to the world that the hypothesis of power concentration in the region and the bullying of countries over others is over, and unipolar power has ended forever.

He praised the efforts of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran for security, peace, and tranquility in the world and expressed hope: Iran and Turkey should be together more than before; we believe that if economic programs between countries flourish more, borders will no longer be places of conflict.

The Head of Iran Chamber, enumerating investment opportunities in Iran and areas of joint cooperation between Iran and Turkey, announced: Through the efforts of the International Affairs Department of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, more than 200 investment opportunities have been prepared in Iran to attract non-Iranian investors, and we are interested in Turkey and its private sector having extensive and sustainable participation in these projects.

Hassanzadeh, welcoming the support of Turkey's private sector for helping to rebuild and renovate factories and production units damaged in Iran during the recent imposed war, emphasized: Given the history of economic activities between Iran and Turkey, today we need to multiply this experience and activities several times over.

Referring to the emphasis of the presidents of Iran and Turkey on raising the trade between Iran and Turkey to 30 billion dollars, he noted: This year, despite the restrictions of the war, the official trade volume between Iran and Turkey has reached 23 billion dollars.

The Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, noting that Turkey is among the top three countries in terms of trade volume with Iran, said: We are confident that it is possible for Turkey to hold the second rank in trade volume after China.

The Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture also emphasized the establishment of joint industrial towns in free zones and the development of logistics and transit programs between Iran and Turkey, especially in the petrochemical and refining industries.

Qadir Ghiyafeh, Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, also referred to more than five centuries of continuous political, economic, and cultural relations between Iran and Turkey and said: This long history shows that our two nations, despite the ups and downs of history, have always preferred dialogue, cooperation, and good neighborliness over confrontation. This valuable legacy is our greatest asset today for building the future.

Appreciating the responsible stances of the government and nation of the Republic of Turkey regarding recent regional developments and their solidarity with the Iranian people, he added: The experience of the eight-year imposed war, regional crises, and the recent aggression once again showed that war has no winner; rather, war only takes the lives of innocent people, destroys infrastructure, ruins capital, and sets back the development process of nations for years. Therefore, we believe the best response to war is the development of economic cooperation, the expansion of investment, and the creation of shared interests among nations.

Ghiyafeh stated that today, more than ever, the borders of Iran and Turkey should be a route for the passage of capital, technology, goods, tourists, and ideas, and added: Iran and Turkey are two complementary economies, not rivals! Iran, with its vast energy resources, mines, steel industries, petrochemicals, agriculture, specialized human resources, and distinguished transit position, and Turkey, with its industrial capabilities, technology, logistics, contracting, and extensive access to global markets, can create one of the most successful models of regional economic cooperation.

The Vice President of Iran Chamber stated that from the perspective of Iran's private sector, the time has come for the economic relations of the two countries to go beyond traditional trade and enter the stage of joint investment, joint production, and joint presence in regional and global markets. He said: We invite Turkish companies and investors to actively participate in Iran's major projects, especially in the fields of mining, steel, downstream industries, petrochemicals, refining, energy, transportation, logistics, ports, agriculture, food industries, tourism, pharmaceuticals, advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy.

He added: We also believe that cooperation in technology transfer, establishing joint research and development (R&D) centers, exchanging technical knowledge, supporting knowledge-based companies, and developing high-tech industries can create a new chapter in the economic relations between the two countries.

According to the Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, the development of transit corridors, strengthening logistics infrastructure, increasing the capacity of border crossings, developing rail, road, and maritime transport, and establishing joint logistics centers will further strengthen the position of Iran and Turkey as the axis connecting Asia, the Caucasus, the Persian Gulf, and Europe.

The Vice President of Iran Chamber stated that achieving 30 billion dollars in economic exchanges is a completely achievable goal and noted: We believe that if joint investments, technology transfer, development of logistics infrastructure, banking and financial cooperation, and support for the private sector are prioritized, achieving 50 billion dollars in economic cooperation in the medium-term horizon will also be entirely possible.

He added: To achieve this goal, it is necessary to remove banking and financial obstacles, provide effective legal protection for investors from both countries, facilitate customs processes, develop trade agreements, complete transit corridors, and strengthen permanent dialogue mechanisms between the private sector and the governments of the two countries.

Ghiyafeh, emphasizing that the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture is fully prepared to develop and implement a joint roadmap alongside Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board and TOBB for the development of investment, technology transfer, development of advanced industries, and implementation of major joint projects, concluded his remarks by saying: We do not see Turkey merely as a trade partner; we see Turkey as our strategic partner in investment, technology, production, and building the future of the region. The more the economic interests of our nations are intertwined, the more sustainable peace, security, and prosperity will be for future generations.

Mehrdad Saadat, head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Iran and Turkey, as another speaker of the Iranian delegation in this meeting, stating that we consider Turkey our partner for victory in the war, referred to the realities of Turkey's trade and said: Preferential trade between the two countries is practically an outdated method in the world, so our proposal is free trade.

Saadat reviewed the capacities of Iran and Turkey in various industries and clarified: We have not been able to achieve the desired results from preferential trade, so this method needs to be eliminated and free trade should be chosen as the way out of the current state of Iran-Turkey trade.

The head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Iran and Turkey, raising questions such as "Why has Iran's share of Turkey's 400-billion-dollar import pie from the world been so small?" and "Is Turkey planning to increase Iran's share of this 400-billion-dollar pie?" said: We propose that the establishment of a joint industrial town and the formation of a single currency or trade with the currencies of the two countries be considered to resolve sanctions issues.

He added: Given that the transfer of Iranian financial resources in various countries is conditional on the purchase of food items, our expectation from Iran's strategic partner is that instead of the food item condition, the purchase of technology, infrastructure, and machinery from Turkey be emphasized and facilitated in this regard.

Saadat, emphasizing the more prominent role of the private sectors of Iran and Turkey in the joint commission of the two countries, concluded by saying: We propose that an office of the Turkish Chamber be established in Tehran, and in this regard, we have the possibility of allocating space in Tehran; in return, we expect to have a location in Istanbul for the establishment of the Joint Chamber of Iran and Turkey.

Ferhat Dortkoshe, head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Iran and Turkey, also considered Turkey's main goal in developing economic relations with Iran to be positioning Turkey and Iran at the center of the global market hub and emphasized: Turkey is not just a transit corridor, but we must create added value through production and investment.

He considered sharing the experiences of Iran and Turkey with each other as a prerequisite for achieving sustainable growth and, referring to the role Turkey can play as a bridge between Iran and Europe, emphasized defining new models of economic cooperation between the two countries to create win-win relationships, and added: Modernizing border crossings and increasing cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries are the foundations for increasing trade volume based on geographical advantages and cultural commonalities.

Osman Aksoy, head of the Turkey-Iran Business Council at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK), also expressed pleasure over the cessation of tensions between the US and Iran and expressed hope that permanent peace memorandums would soon be signed, sanctions lifted, and Iran's entry into global markets expanded.

He considered strong and continuous communication as the basis for building trust and trust as the fundamental basis of trade, and emphasized the determination of the two countries to turn neighborliness into everlasting trade, saying: Iranian and Turkish traders should not face elementary and trivial problems in the host country.

Aksoy concluded by emphasizing forward-looking for the establishment of joint production centers and transport corridors and designing complementary activities.

Joint production for regional markets, Central Asia, Caucasus, and neighboring countries can create a significant competitive advantage for economic actors in Iran and Turkey

The Secretary General of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture stated that setting a goal to increase trade volume to higher levels requires close cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries and the reduction of administrative barriers, and said: Joint production for regional markets, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and neighboring countries can create a significant competitive advantage for economic actors of the two countries.

Abolfazl Roghani Golpaygani, Secretary General of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, in a meeting with Ahmet Gulech, head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) in Istanbul, congratulating the election of the new board of directors of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly, appreciated the Turkish government and nation for their brotherly solidarity with the Iranian government and nation during the recent imposed war, and said: War is an ominous phenomenon that we wish would not happen anywhere in the world, but the Iranian people and the valiant armed forces of our country stood firm against the aggressive attacks.

Roghani Golpaygani, describing Iran-Turkey relations as strategic, stated: Iran and Turkey are two complementary economies in the region, and the existing capacities are far beyond the current volume of bilateral trade.

The Secretary General of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, considering the use of transit corridors, noted: Iran and Turkey can become the main hub from east to west and expand cooperation in the field of logistics and transit.

Stating that Iran has comparative advantages in oil, gas, petrochemicals, mining, handicrafts, steel, aluminum, and other industries, he said: Iran is interested in strengthening its production flow by utilizing Turkey's experiences and technology.

Roghani Golpaygani, inviting the exchange of trade delegations, considered holding B2B meetings and sending specialized delegations as a platform for new opportunities for Iranian and Turkish companies, and in conclusion, said: The Iran Chamber is ready to place close and operational cooperation with the Turkish Exporters' Assembly on its agenda for the development of trade, joint investment, and removing obstacles facing economic actors of the two countries, so that tangible benefits are achieved for the private sectors of Iran and Turkey.

Ahmet Gulech, head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), also emphasized increasing cooperation with Islamic countries in this meeting and said: The Turkish Exporters' Assembly consists of 61 exporter associations and 160,000 exporters, and each of our 160,000 exporters is also an importer.

Announcing that the new term of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly started a week ago for a four-year period, he emphasized increasing cooperation and mutual trade between Iran and Turkey and said: Trade is a two-way street, and we need to bring exporters and importers together from all cities of Iran so that they themselves find cooperation models with each other. In the meantime, the Chamber of Commerce and the Turkish Exporters' Assembly create an atmosphere of familiarity and trust between them, and it is appropriate that we facilitate the acquaintance of traders with each other as much as possible.

Mehrdad Saadat, head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Iran and Turkey, Peyman Sanandaji, head of the Transportation and Logistics Committee of the Tehran Chamber, Mohammad Reza Malekzadeh, head of the Logistics Association of Iran, Alireza Kiani, Iranian entrepreneur and head of the Money and Capital Committee of the Tehran Chamber, and Mohammad Reza Ghofrani, head of the Trade Facilitation and Development Committee of the Tehran Chamber, expressed their views on developing trade with Turkey in this meeting.

Mehrdad Saadat, head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Iran and Turkey, stating that Turkey's export figure of 380 billion dollars to various countries indicates Turkey's high experience and is worthy of congratulations, added: Turkey has imported over 400 billion dollars in the past years, and Iran has been almost without a share of this import volume, while Iran has the capacity to export more than 15 billion dollars in areas with preferences for purchase from Iran, but Iran has lost this opportunity and Turkey has sometimes purchased its needs from countries farther than Iran.

The head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Iran and Turkey noted: Although Iran has faced sanctions and restrictions for years, we hope that conditions will be provided for the lifting of sanctions, and in the post-war era, Iran's share of Turkey's import pie from other countries will increase.

Emphasizing that with traditional methods and preferential trade, the high horizons for improving the trade volume between Iran and Turkey can by no means be met, he said: Therefore, our proposal is to establish the possibility of free trade between Iran and Turkey.

Mohammad Reza Ghofrani, head of the Trade Facilitation and Development Committee of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, emphasized the joint production of products between Iran and Turkey and expressed hope that the lifting of sanctions would be realized and a new chapter in Iran's economic leap and the expansion of trade between Iran and Turkey would be opened.

Ghofrani added: It is suggested that Iran and Turkey cooperate with each other to develop third markets, and in this regard, the Export Confederation of Iran, as an organization at the same level as the Turkish Exporters' Assembly, is ready to provide the necessary cooperation.

Alireza Kiani, Iranian entrepreneur and head of the Money and Capital Committee of the Tehran Chamber, also proposed: Exporters who want to export from Turkey to Iran can have domestic partners and change part of the work by up to 10%, in which case the goods can easily enter Iran.

He emphasized the formation of a consortium between Iranian and Turkish companies and said: One of the biggest obstacles to expanding trade exchanges between the two countries is the issue of financial channels, and necessary measures must be taken to make the current financial channels more effective.

Kiani continued: Currently, Iranians residing in Turkey have many assets, and apartments, assets, and properties can serve as collateral for the payment of Iranian importers for imports from Turkey, although with the lifting of sanctions, we hope there will be no need for this proposal anymore.

MA