Hassan Valibeigi, an advisor to Iran-Kazakhstan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said it would not be easy for Iran to make its way into Kazakhstan’s market.
Valibeigi made the remarks in a seminar on Sunday to examine the trade opportunities of Kazakhstan.
He said that Iran would have a difficult job for entering the market of Kazakhstan as Russia, China and South Korea meet 35, 17 and 13 percent of the country’s import needs respectively.
Amir Abedi, the chairman of Iran-Kazakhstan Joint Chamber of Commerce, who was also present at the seminar, referred to the significance of Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) to which Kazakhstan is a member, noting that many countries, including Uzbekistan, Egypt, Jordan and even the Zionist regime of Israel, are seeking to join the union.
He urged the need for Iran to make further use of EAEU and increase its competitive advantages in the union as well.
Abedi said that a high-ranking trade delegation from Kazakhstan is due to visit Iran next week.
A joint meeting of Iranian businesspersons and the members of the Kazakh delegation is to explore investment opportunities as well as ways for expansion of economic cooperation, he said.
He also said that the businesspersons from both sides will hold B2B meetings on the sidelines of the visit to Iran by the Kazakh delegation.
In the meantime, Mir Hadi Seyyedi, an adviser on international affairs of the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), underlined the importance of a preferential trade agreement between Iran and the EAEU.
Seyyedi, also the top Iranian negotiator for clinching the preferential trade agreement, said that Iran also seeks to clinch a free trade deal with the bloc in the near future.
Noting that the preferential trade agreement between Iran and the EAEU covers 800 items, he said that once the free trade deal is finalized, the number will increase to cover 15,000 items and 80% of tariffs will be removed.