Niloofar Assadi, the caretaker of international affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture, said on Saturday that Iran’s private sector is willing to participate in overseas farming in Africa and make joint investments in the continent.
She made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with a visiting delegation of West African countries, including Cameron, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Representatives from a number of Iranian companies having trade connections with Africa were also present in the meeting.
Assadi also voiced the eagerness of Iran Chamber of Commerce to pave the way for using the capabilities of Iranian engineers and establish processing industries in Africa.
“We are seeking to implement long-term cooperation plans which will be beneficial to both regions,” she said, expressing hope that good cooperation will be initiated between the two sides in agricultural, techno-engineering and construction areas.
Referring to Iran’s potentials in building roads, dams, refineries, and power plants as well as excavation of mines and other capabilities in producing pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery and petrochemical products, Assadi said that Iran can, on the other hand, import agricultural and mining products from Africa.
Also speaking during the meeting, Masoud Barahman, the head of Iran-East Asia Joint Chamber of Commerce, said that there are many grounds for cooperation between Iran and the African continent.
With some 30% of the total mines of the world, 65% of its workforce being active in agricultural sector, and a large economy, 60% of which being focused in the west of the continent, Africa can have a wide range of cooperation with Iran in different fields, Barahman said.
Iran seeks a win-win trade with African, he said, with reference to Iranian high-quality and low-price exports.
He also said that Iran has huge knowledge-based potentials, being inclined to make joint investments in this regard.