Targeted $2b trade for Iran-Vietnam possible: Lawmaker
By Sadeq Dehqan & Reza Abesh Ahmadlou
Staff writers
Iran and Vietnam should expand their level of cooperation in various fields with implementing the signed agreements in order to achieve the targeted bilateral trade goal of $2 billion per annum, said the head of Iran-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Talking to Iran Daily, Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi added that the level of commercial exchanges between Iran and Vietnam during the past years was not satisfying due to reasons such the lack of knowledge about the economic situation and market of the two countries.
Referring to the visit of Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Tehran in August 2023, the MP said the visit took place after about 25 years during which agreements were signed in various economic fields including paving the ground for the private sectors of the two countries for having a greater role in the projects.
On August 8, 2023, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf hailed the friendly ties between the Islamic Republic and Vietnam, saying the two countries have agreed to expand their cooperation in various fields.
Qalibaf made the remarks at a joint press conference with Vuong Dinh Hue in Tehran after the two officials held talks on a range of political and economic issues.
He went on to say that during the meeting, the two sides emphasized the need for the establishment of joint committees between Iran and Vietnam to boost cooperation in the economic, fishery, health and medical sectors.
Qalibaf also noted that the two sides have reached agreements on customs and not collecting taxes on imported goods, stressing the need to accelerate their implementation.
He further pointed to an agreement on easing the visa regime between the two countries, saying direct flights between Tehran and Hanoi will be launched soon.
The Iranian Parliament speaker described Hue’s trip to Iran as a turning point in the development of ties between the two nations in various economic, cultural and social fields.
He further said a top foreign policy priority of Iran is to pay a special attention to East Asia and expand ties with the countries of that region.
Hue, for his part, appreciated his Iranian counterpart for inviting him to travel to Iran, expressing hope that the trip would help further strengthen the ties between Iran and Vietnam.
He also lauded Iran’s significant role in West Asia, adding that Hanoi pays attention to the promotion of collaboration between the two countries in various parliamentary, governmental, municipality and friendship groups.
At the end of the press conference, the two top parliamentarians signed a memorandum of understanding on parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
Iran and Vietnam established relations in 1973 and since then the two countries have increased political and economic cooperation through exchange of visits by senior officials from both sides.
Jahanabadi stated that following the decisions taken during the trip, bilateral relations are expanding, and the level of trade relations will witness significant growth in the coming months.
“The recent signing of MoUs has provided greater opportunities for cooperation between specialized parliamentary commissions and friendship groups of the two countries, so that the two countries can exchange experiences.”
He added that a number of Iranian lawmakers had a trip to Vietnam to follow up on the agreements, as important meetings were held with Vietnamese officials of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Economic Committee of Parliament, the Ministry of Agriculture and various departments.
“With the implementation of agreements and follow-ups, the improvement of relations between the two countries is quite evident and many problems, including trade barriers, have been resolved, as in the field of livestock and agricultural products, there were some quarantine difficulties, which have been reduced with the implementation of new agreements.”
In the field of tourism, the two countries enjoy great capacities to cooperate with each other, the MP added, noting, “With the decisions made in this field, in the future we will see a rise in this field, too.”
The ground is paved now for the exchange of agricultural products, household and electronic appliances, industrial parts and machinery, as well as steel products and petrochemicals, he concluded.