Iran and Bulgaria need to increase their bilateral trade volume by facilitating transport opportunities for Bulgarian companies and expanding Black Sea-Persian Gulf corridor.
“In the past, Turkey has been given special advantages in Iran’s transport and transit system in a way that it can be claimed that the country had monopoly over it. Now, it’s been agreed that these advantags be given to Bulgarian companies. This move can open a new horizon in their bilateral business activities,” said Seyed Mohammad Javad Rasouli, Iran’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, addressing a Saturday forum that introduced Bulgaria’s business opportunities, held at Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).
He urged Iranian industrial farmers to engage in extraterritorial cultivation in Bulgaria as the Eastern European country has rich soil, good weather conditions and cheap prices.
“If Iranian products get the European Unión’s certificates, they can be exported to other European nations as well,” Rasouli mentioned.
Iran-Bulgaria’s bilateral annual trade volume stands in the tune of some $100m, however, this number could be bigger as “much of the exports are sent through Turkey”.
According to the Iranian envoy in the Balkan country, Iranian and Bulgarian authorities are working on launching direct flights between Tehran and Sofia.
Black Sea-Persian Gulf corridor
Iran is striving to serve as a trade hub not just for the Middle East but into Europe and Central Asia by creating a new transport corridor that would connect four countries, including Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Bulgaria.
Deputy Head of Bulgaria’s Embassy in Iran Radoslav Gergov believes the route will cut short the distance and make it transit cheaper from Eastern Europe to Persian Gulf states and East Asian nations.
Hossein Selahvarzi, the first Vice President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, stressed that both chambers of commerce should cooperate further to facilitate their trade exchanges.
Selahvarzi was himself in Bulgaria a few months ago to gague the commercial capabilities of the Balkan country in a bid to expand their bilateral relations.