Iran calls for closer ties with Serbia
By Trend
The head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran emphasized the
need for enhanced ties with Serbia in various fields, saying that
the two countries have good potential to forge closer
relations.
“There are many capacities in the two countries that need to be
developed,” Mojtaba Khosrotaj said on June 20 during an evening
meeting with officials of Serbia’s Ministry of Trade, Tourism and
Telecommunications in Belgrade, IRNA news agency reported.
Resumption of direct flights between the two countries after a
hiatus of almost 27 years and removal of visa restrictions for
Iranian nationals traveling to the country both could help increase
the volume of transactions and investment in the two countries, he
added.
The Iranian deputy minister further said joint and collective
efforts are required by the two governments to improve banking and
transportation infrastructures.
Khosrotaj also took swipe at the volume of trade transactions
between Tehran and Belgrade given the exiting potential.
During the meeting, Serbia's Ambassador to Tehran Dragan Todorovic
called for the expansion of ties between the countries, saying that
the volume of trade turnover between the two during the first three
months of the current year witnessed a four-fold growth compared to
the same period in 2017.
In 2017, the government of Serbia announced that in order to
improve bilateral relations as well as to attract tourists and
investors to Serbia, it had passed a legislation to abolish visa
requirements for citizens of Iran and India intending to travel to
the country.
The level of trade between Iran and Serbia stands at $20
million.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in February visited
Belgrade to explore the avenues for expanding economic relations
between the two countries.
In a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic, Zarif named
oil, gas, petrochemicals, mines, agriculture and IT as some areas
appropriate for expansion of ties between the two countries.
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