Mohammad Mokhbar made the remarks in a meeting with Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan, where he also said that the three meetings between the presidents of the two countries in the past two years show the serious will and determination of Tehran and Tashkent to expand their bilateral relations. 

He stated that economic interactions should be expanded to match the high level of political relations between the two countries as political interactions would remain stable with if they are supported by the strong economic ties.

He clarified that the agreements signed in the presence of the presidents of the two countries should be implemented as soon as possible and new cooperation agreements should be pursued. 

Mokhber continued that Iran’s achievements in industrial sectors, energy, electricity, transportation and world-class technologies and knowledge-based companies can define new fields for cooperation.

He also pointed to the two important corridors of Iran, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, as well as Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Oman, noting thta these exchange routes should be activated more than in the past and the issues in the preferential trade agreements should be resolved.

In the financial and banking field, transactions can be done using local currencies of the two countries which in turn can strengthen those local currencies, Mokhber added.

The Iranian First Vice-president further noted that regarding the expanding transit interactions, the airlines of the two countries should become more active, and the process of issuing visas between the citizens and business activists of the private and economic sectors of Iran and Uzbekistan should be facilitated.

He also considered the holding of permanent exhibitions to introduce products and the creation of a joint investment fund to ensure the safety of investors as other important factors in the development of economic exchanges.

The Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan, for his part, considered the meetings between the presidents of the two countries in the past two years as an indication of the deepening of relations, adding that Iran and Uzbekistan presidents have emphasized increasing the volume of financial and economic exchanges in their meetings.

He stated that according to the order of Uzbekistan’s President, in addition to following up on past agreements, new possibilities for financial and economic interactions with Iran will be reviewed and finalized during this trip, adding that Uzbekistan is fully prepared to benefit from Iran’s great capacities ana capabilities in the fields of technology, knowledge, trade and capital. 

Mirzamahmudov further stressed that Iran and Uzbekistan can make it possible to export to other countries in the region after meeting their domestic needs, adding that the issues related to customs tariffs should be resolved.

He also emphasized the need to increase the transit capacity of the two countries, noting that the capabilities of moving goods between the two countries can be expanded up to 24,000 vehicles which requires the creation of suitable cooperation conditions for the large transport companies of the two countries to achieve that goal.

He further added that the high industrial progress of Iran was noticeable during the visit of large Iranian companies, adding that, Uzbekistan is seeking to use the great potneitals of Iran’s oil, petrochemical, and food industries.
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