More than half of Iran’s trade with Austria is concentrated in pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, hospital supplies and food products, sectors that still have room for growth despite Western sanctions, the head of the Iran-Austria Joint Chamber of Commerce said.
Nariman Sadri said sanctions have made small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe wary of working with Iranian partners, sharply reducing broader economic cooperation between Iran and EU countries.
Speaking to Iran Chamber of Commerce news portal, Sadri said that despite these sanctions, “the volume of trade between Iran and Austria remains significant, particularly in pharmaceutical exports to Iran, where good cooperation has been established.”
He said Austria has been acting as a regional European hub to help deliver medicines to Iranian patients, adding that the two countries have managed to sustain cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector even as sanctions have curtailed most other areas of trade.
Sadri also expressed hope that ties could expand with the presence of Austria’s new ambassador in Tehran, Friedrich Stift, who has begun his second term in Iran and holds a positive view toward developing bilateral cooperation.