Representatives from Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mine, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) and a Kenyan trade delegation, in a meeting in Tehran explored ways to cooperate on extra-regional cultivation.
Mohammad Reza Karbasi, the ICCIMA deputy for International Affairs, said that Kenya is one of the most important developing countries in East Africa with a very good geopolitical and climatic position.
Karbasi said that Kenya’s strategic Port of Mombasa can facilitate transportation in East Africa.
There is huge capacity for cooperation between Iran and Kenya on extra-territorial cultivation, food and agricultural processing industries, as well as livestock, he said.
Regretting about the insignificant volume of trade between Iran and Kenya, Karbasi said that bilateral trade stood at $60 million in 2020. He however said that Iran-Kenya trade can increase to $500 million next year.
He also predicted a $6 billion trade between the two countries in the long-term.
Karbasi said that Iran is capable to meet part of the needs of Kenya for oil derivatives, bitumen, petrochemical products, machinery and equipment, medicine and food while Kenya will also be able to find a good market in Iran for its products such as cocoa, coffee, tea, crops, fruits, and agricultural and livestock products.
Hillary Barchok Kipngeno, the head of the Kenyan delegation, said for his part that Iran has had significant imports of tea from Kenya since the last visit to Iran by a Kenyan delegation.
He said that during the visit to Iran, the Kenyan delegation plans to start a joint investment unit on harvesting and packing of tea in Lahijan, north of Iran.
Kigngeno, also the Governor of Kenya’s Bomet County, said that different challenges including tough sanctions on Tehran hinder his country’s efforts to enhance relations with Iran. He however noted that Kenya will not ignore trade relations with Iran and is resolved to increase bilateral relations with the country.
He also called for further medical cooperation with Iran so as to meet Kenya’s needs for medical equipment and medicine.