President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) says the chance of Iran’s membership in BRICS group of emerging economies have to be seized to give a boost to cooperation with South Africa.
Hossein Selahvarzi made the remarks in an online meeting on Monday with his South African counterpart Mtho Xulu.
He said that promotion of ties with African countries, especially South Africa, is one of the top priorities of the Iranian government.
Selahvarzi noted that South Africa has a strategic position which can serve as a gateway for Iran to access to the markets of other African countries.
He added that Iran which is a member to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and has a preferential trade agreement in place with the Eurasian Economic Union, can provide South Africa with access to CIS countries and other surrounding nations.
“We can supply the South African companies with petrochemical products, bitumen, plastic materials and other oil derivations. Given the difference of seasons, agricultural exchanges are also regarded as a good area of cooperation between the two countries.”
The president of Iran Chamber of Commerce also referred to obstacles on the way of financial exchanges, money transfer, long distance, and transportation, which are hindering bilateral cooperation between Iran and South Africa, urging the need for both countries to find a solution to these problems.
He invited his South African counterpart to pay a visit to Tehran at the head of a trade delegation, also expressing readiness of Iran Chamber of Commerce to dispatch a delegation to South Africa in the early months of 2024.
Selahvarzi also voiced the readiness of Iran Chamber of Commerce to host a meeting of the presidents of the chambers of commerce of BRICS member countries.
The president of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for his part, said that his country is eager to cooperate with Iran in the areas of infrastructure, mines, agriculture and energy and welcomes to take advantage of Iran’s experiences in these areas.
Xulu believed that Iran Chamber of Commerce can make use of these areas of cooperation for making investments in South Africa.
He said that the South African Chamber of Commerce has good relations with Iran’s embassy in Pretoria which he said provides a chance for Iranian companies to gather information about and develop connections with their South African partners.
He noted that the formation of a joint trade council can help the connections between private sectors of Iran and South Africa.