Iran Chamber of Commerce Urges Swift Restoration of Trade with Saudi Arabia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Chairman of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), Gholamhossein Shafei, has called for a swift restoration of trade and economic ties with Saudi Arabia, as well as the promotion of cooperation between the private sectors of both countries.
In an official letter to the chairperson of the Council for Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday, Shafei praised the decision to reopen diplomatic ties after seven years and offered to exchange trade and economic delegations with Saudi Arabia. He added that joint trade fairs would effectively strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.
“A visit by an economic delegation of Iran’s private sector to Saudi Arabia and the planning of the economic institutions of the two countries’ private sectors for the development of trade, commercial and industrial cooperation can considerably accelerate the realization of the will of the two countries’ authorities to normalize mutual relations,” Shafei wrote.
On March 10, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic ties and reopen their embassies after several days of negotiations hosted by China.
In a joint statement after signing the agreement, the two countries emphasized the importance of respecting each other's national sovereignty and refraining from interfering in each other's internal affairs.
The accord included implementing a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost cooperation in economic, commercial, investment, technical, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs. The detente has the potential to ease tensions across a region characterized by decades of turbulence and is causing concern for the US and Israel.