Foreign envoys attend ECO-Silk Road Food Festival

They held separate meetings with Zajan Governor General Fathollah Haqiqi late on Thursday where he explained Zanjan province’s capabilities, saying that it boasts of various mines, including iron ore, Zinc and lead, as it produces 90 percent of lead and 75 percent of Zink needed by the country.

Thanks to its suitable ambience for business, it ranks third in the country in terms of foreign investment, he said, noting that minerals, lead and Zinc, decorative stones, textiles and foodstuff constitute the province’s major exports.

“Zanjan is a tourism hub in the country as it houses the world’s biggest adobe dome Soltaniyeh Dome and longest historic market in the country as well as most wonderful limestone cave in the Middle East,” he said.

The province is fully ready to have interaction with the countries, the official said.

Referring to US 40-year enmity with Iran, Haqiqi said that of course in the course of its 242-year history, it experience peace only for 16 years and was engaged in wars in other years to subjugate them.

“Iran is a powerful and peace loving country which has defended its interests with all in power,” he said.

Greek Ambassador in Tehran Dimitri Alexandrakis said during the meeting that Iran has a rich and strong population for the economy sector.

“Greece and Zanjan can have close cooperation in producing olive and tourism,” he said.

Unlike the other European states, Greece does not accept sanctions and will continue economic and trade exchanges with it, the envoy said.

Austrian envoy Stefan Scholz also said that there are numerous similarities between Iran and Austria.

He further pointed out that Zanjan province has a suitable location and Silk Road as a major connective road between Iran, Asia and Europe has linked the province with Turkey.

He also called for cooperation in agriculture sector and scientific issues.

Croatian Ambassador to Iran Drago Stambuk, said, for his part, said Iran and Croatia boast of similar culture, “as some of our names are the same as the old Iranian.”

He reiterated that as a European independent country, Croatia opposes sanctions against Iran.

“Zanjan and Croatia can have cooperation in the sports and agriculture spheres,” he said.

Kazakh envoy Askhat Orazbai also said, “We need Iranian decorative stones in constructions and we can have cooperation in the field.”

The two countries have favorable trade exchanges but they have potentials to further increase them, he said.

The Fifth ECO-Silk Road Food Festival opened in Zanjan on Thursday and will continue until Sunday.

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