Iran, Afghanistan eager to further develop trade ties

Iranian and Afghan officials in a meeting in North Khorassan province underlined their enthusiasm for the further development of trade ties and economic cooperation between the two neighboring states. North Khorassan province's Chamber of Commerce and Afghanistan's Chamber of Trade and Industry signed 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in Bojnourd city, Northeastern Iran, on Monday. Members of North Khorassan Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines as well as Bojnourd officials held a joint gathering with an Afghan trade delegation Monday evening. Speaking at the event, head of North Khorassan Chamber of Commerce said this province enjoys much potential particularly in agriculture sector, food industries, petrochemicals and construction materials. Mohammad Samadi added that Afghan merchants need some of the province's products such as petrochemicals, farming crops, construction materials and and those produced by metal industries. He said the MoUs between North Khorassan and Afghan businessmen is in line with promoting their trade level. Iran and Afghanistan enjoy expanding ties and cooperation and observers believe that the good achievements gained in area of their mutual cooperation should be deemed as a result of the efforts made by the two countries' leaders. Earlier this year, a senior Iranian trade official announced that Afghanistan imports 27.6 of its multi-billion-dollar needs from Iran, and said the figure can still increase in future. "At present 27.6% of Afghanistan's nearly $5bln imports from the world countries is from Iran, which is a considerable figure," Director-General of the Asia and Pacific Trade Office of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization Amir Talebi said, adding that the number can increase in future.