Iran and Turkmenistan aim to boost bilateral trade to $3 billion within the next three years, the head of the Iran-Turkmenistan Joint Chamber of Commerce says.
Ramezan Bahrami told Iran Chamber of Commerce newsroom on Sunday that while the two neighbors enjoy a “reliable and friendly” market relationship, government regulations remain the main obstacle to achieving the target.
“The government should not create unnecessary competition with the private sector or engage in parallel work. If it trusts the private sector and allows us to do our job, we will definitely reach the goal,” Bahrami said.
He added that Iranian businesses expect state experts to cooperate with them in large-scale projects in energy, petrochemicals, construction and road building.
Bahrami praised the role of both the Iranian embassy in Turkmenistan and Turkmenistan’s embassy in Tehran in supporting business activity.
Despite restrictions on money transfers and barter trade, Bahrami said the private sector was finding its own solutions. “We just need the government to trust us,” he added.