Bahrain keen on expansion of trade ties with Iran


TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Bahraini Ambassador to Iran Kamel Salih al-Salih in a meeting here Saturday with Minister of Commerce Masud Mirkazemi called for closer economic and trade relations, the Commerce Ministry Public Relations Department reported.

He also called for Tehran's active participation in the next Iran-Bahrain Joint Economic Cooperation Commission in November.

He said the views of Mirkazemi are important in completing issues broached in the previous commission meetings.

He expressed hope that there will be important decisions taken to bolster economic and trade relations in the upcoming meeting.

Mirkazemi also stressed common cultural and religious history between the two nations. The Iranian government policies are predicated on expansion of relations with the Moslem nations.

It is not important to be Persian or Arab, but what is important is the will of two Moslem nations which are resolved to have closer economic ties which pave the ground for further religious and cultural exchange, he added.

He said the volume of trade exchanges between Iran and Bahrain stood at $68.264 million in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2005), and stressed the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The Iranian minister called on Bahrain to provide further facilities and reduce expenses regarding issuing visa for Iranian tradesmen to establish relations between the sides' private sectors.

Al-Salih said the Iran-Bahrain commission could increase trade exchanges by 26 percent over next few years and expressed hope such trade exchanges would be expanded through investment in joint projects.

The most significant news on the two nations' investments and trade relations occurred in 2004 when Iranian and Bahraini commerce ministers held talks in the framework of the 4th session of the two countries' Joint Economic Cooperation Commission.