President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholam Hossein Shafei said that banking and other financial problems are impeding further enhancement of relations between Iran and Oman.
Shafei made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran on Monday with his Omani counterpart Redha bin Juma Al Saleh.
In the meeting, Shafeie stressed the long history of political and economic relations between Iran and Oman and noted that the two countries have the capacity to expand their trade relations to a great extent.
He hailed the achievements of the first Iran-Oman Virtual Expo which was launched in late September by Iran-Oman Joint Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with ICCIMA.
Noting that the event attracted some 40,000 visitor, Shafei said that this exhibition was an opportunity to introduce the capabilities and the latest technological products and initiatives used in the industrial and manufacturing fields of the two countries.
He expressed hope that such events would be held more often and will continue to be held in the future.
Shafeie further mentioned some of the problems that Iranian traders and businesspersons are currently facing in trade with Oman, saying: “there are still problems related to banking relations for Iranian investors in Oman, so we request that these problems be resolved by the relevant authorities.”
“One of our goals is to increase trade between the two countries. [in this regard] joint investment is an effective factor for the dynamism and stability of economic relations between the two countries and it requires the necessary coordination and support from the governments of Iran and Oman,” the Iran chamber president said.
He further stated that a meeting of the two countries’ joint economic committee is to be held in Muscat in the near future.
Elsewhere in the meeting, Al Saleh spoke about the strong and historical relations between Iran and Oman, saying, a lot of work is required to achieve the goals in the field of trade.
Iran and Oman lost two golden years due to the coronavirus outbreak and must work to compensate for that and increase the volume of trade between the two countries and remove obstacles, he said.
Logistical measures must be taken to be able to benefit from the free trade agreement between the two countries, he added.
“Undoubtedly, there are many obstacles for Iranian investors in Oman, but we are negotiating with the relevant officials in this regard,” he said.
The official further noted that barter trade between the two sides is one of the important strategies that is being pursued in developing trade exchanges.