Saudi Arabia Keen on Economic Coop. with Iran: Deputy FM

Iran’s deputy foreign minister for economic diplomacy says Saudi Arabia is keen on economic cooperation with Iran, stressing that a joint economic commission between the two countries will soon be held.

During a press conference on Monday, Mehdi Safari referred to his visit to Saudi Arabia in April, adding that he has invited the Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid a-Falih to visit Iran to explore the country’s modern technologies, ISNA reported.

He also stated that the joint economic commission between Tehran and Riyadh will be held within the next two to three months. Safari said, based on his meetings with Saudi officials during his visit, that Saudi Arabia is keen to collaborate with Iran in the economic and commercial sectors.

He described the recent trip to Saudi Arabia concerning economic issues as a breakthrough. The official also expressed hope that, as per the planned arrangements, there will be meetings and consultations at the level of the two countries’ leaders, where discussions will focus on expanding cooperation in various fields, including economic field.

Safari traveled to Riyadh in April to participate in the World Economic Forum Special Meeting with the theme of “Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development”. Also, on the sidelines of an exhibition showcasing the foreign policy achievements of the late President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration on Monday, he said that the foreign exchange revenues generated by Iran’s knowledge-based companies have increased eight-fold.

Referring to the knowledge-based companies, “The day we started, the income was US$300 million, and today it has reached US$2.5 billion.” Safari said that in order to stabilize the market, “We established ‘technology homes’ in 12 countries, which work as exhibitions for our knowledge-based products in different countries.” The figure is expected to reach 30 by the end of the year, he added. - Iran Daily