Tehran, Berlin explore practical ways to revive economic ties
Iran’s Chamber of Commerce called for preserving channels between the private sectors of Iran and Germany on Wednesday, while Germany’s ambassador to Tehran said he was ready to pursue practical ways to expand economic relations between the two countries.
Sammad Hassanzadeh, head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, made the remarks during a meeting with German Ambassador Axel Dittmann in Tehran, highlighting trade development, technology transfer and stronger private-sector ties as key areas of focus in the chamber’s international relations, according to IRIB.
Hassanzadeh expressed hope that the arrival of Germany’s new ambassador would provide an opportunity to plan for stronger economic ties, pointing to Iran’s economic potential and Germany’s industrial capabilities.
He said Iran-Germany relations, particularly in the industrial sector, had a significant history but had weakened in recent years. In previous periods, he said, Iranian companies had maintained a strong presence at specialized trade fairs in Germany and bilateral interactions had developed.
Hassanzadeh also pointed to the two countries’ history of educational cooperation, saying a technical school established in Tabriz with German cooperation remained active and had produced many Iranian engineers.
The head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce said the chamber was working to expand foreign economic relations through trade development and technology transfer and sought to increase Iran’s international economic ties by using the capacity of joint chambers of commerce.
“Even under the most difficult circumstances, we should not destroy the bridges of communication, and we need to make coordinated plans to strengthen ties between the private sectors of Iran and Germany,” he said.
According to Eurostat data, total trade between Iran and the 27-member EU fell 26% year-on-year to €952 million in January-June 2026, from €1.287 billion in the same period of 2025. Germany remained Iran’s largest trading partner among EU members, accounting for 32% of total Iran-EU trade.
Bilateral trade between Iran and Germany dropped 36% to €304 million in the first half of 2026, with German exports to Iran plunging 41% to €212 million and German imports from Iran declining 18% to €92 million.
Germany ready for practical solutions
Ambassador Dittmann, speaking at the meeting, referred to expert-level discussions in Germany on various industries, including pharmaceuticals and automotive, and noted that reliable capacity exists in many sectors of Iran’s domestic market.
Dittmann also highlighted the importance of travel and exchanges between Iranian and German citizens for developing relations, describing Iran as a country with vast resources and a large market, which makes it significant for Germany.
“We must reach appropriate solutions through dialogue and create the conditions for expanding relations. We are ready to find practical solutions to develop economic relations between Iran and Germany,” Dittmann said.
Iran’s Chamber of Commerce called for preserving channels between the private sectors of Iran and Germany on Wednesday, while Germany’s ambassador to Tehran said he was ready to pursue practical ways to expand economic relations between the two countries.