The board of directors of Iran-Canada Joint Chamber of Commerce convened on Friday when the members offered three proposals to facilitate the revival of economic relations between Tehran and Ottawa.
The participants called for establishment of a think tank with the focus on the board of directors of the Iran-Canada Joint Chamber of Commerce, introducing of the chamber’s honorary attaché to the government of Canada, and winning the approval of the governments of both countries so that they won’t oppose to dispatching an Iranian delegation to Canada.
Speaking during the meeting, Alaa Mir Mohammadsadeqi, the chairman of Iran-Canada Joint Chamber of Commerce, said that “Canada has a special advantage for Iran compared to other countries, and that is the advantage of many Iranians living in Canada with good business opportunities.”
He however regretted that the recession in the political relations between the two countries have also prevented trade relations between Tehran and Ottawa.
“We would like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to announce its policy in this regard so that the Iran-Canada Chamber can pursue its trade goals within the framework of this policy.”
Noting that Iran-Canada has more than 500 members, Mir Mohammadsadeqi said that due to the political rifts of the past one year, only some 100 members, which reside in Iran, are now active in the joint chamber.
In the meantime, Mohammad Reza Karbasi, the deputy for international affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, expressed hope that with the new Iranian government now in office, the Canadian government will change its policies so that the two countries will witness resumption of direct trade relations.
He noted that non-governmental potentials have to be used to help resume relations between Iran and Canada.
Nazar Ahari, an aide to Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who represented the Foreign Ministry in the meeting, said that the shutdown of Iran’s embassy in Canada affected relations between the two countries more than any other thing.
He however noted that connection with Canada is not yet closed.
Ahari said that the capacity of Iranians living in Canada can be used to activate trade relations between the two countries.