Iran-Switzerland Chamber of Commerce weighs sending an economic delegation to Switzerland on September 20, 2016, as Tehran and Bern seek to enhance their mutual cooperation in economic arenas.
The delegation, headed by Iran’s Vice President of Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines, Pedram Soltni, consists of senior private-sector managers of a number of selected industries including tourism, heavy industries, investment and banking, medicine, pharmacology, basic commodities, aviation industries and chemical industries.
During the four-day trip, trade activists as well as Iranian and Swiss companies are scheduled to take part in two conferences set to be held in Geneva and Zürich. B2B meetings will also take place between the two sides in the sidelines of the events.
The visit comes as Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urged greater Swiss investment in Iran during a February meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider-Ammann.
Switzerland and Iran also agreed to boost talks aimed at closer bilateral relations, including trade and human rights, during the visit in February by a high-ranking Swiss delegation, headed by President Schneider-Ammann.
The development comes against the backdrop of a new wave of interest in ties with Iran after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) reached a landmark deal that lifts all-nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, freeing up tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue and frozen assets.