More than 1,000 Iranian companies are presently operating in Uzbekistan, it was noted in an Iran-Uzbekistan Business Forum in Tehran on Sunday.
The business forum was held as an 80-member Uzbek trade delegation is in the Iranian capital to attend Iran Expo 2024.
During the forum, both sides underlined the need for increasing the volume of trade between Iran and Uzbekistan from the current $500 million to $1 billion.
Addressing the forum, Niloofar Assadi, an official with the international affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), referred to different obstacles on the way of trade and joint investments between the two countries, urging the need for forming a council with presence of representatives from both Tehran and Tashkent.
She believed that the economies of Iran and Uzbekistan complement each other and can meet the needs of each other.
Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Tehran Fariddin Nasriyev also addressed the forum, noting that the presence of a big Uzbek delegation in Iran Expo indicates the high willingness of the country’s business actors for more engagement in trade exchanges with Iran.
He said that the officials from both Tehran and Tashkent are focused on joint investments which requires the private sectors of the two countries to make efforts in this regard.
Noting that the Uzbekistan’s government supports any kind of investment in the country, the ambassador said that security of investment in his country is guaranteed.
He further added that the ground is prepared for exports of Iranian pharmaceuticals to Uzbekistan and even establishment of a medical production line in the county.
In the meantime, Mousa Aghaei, the chairman of Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said that Tehran and Tashkent have to do their best to facilitate tourism between the two countries.
Referring to obstacles hindering trade between Iran and Uzbekistan, he said that a great part of these problems have been caused by US sanctions on Tehran.