In an interview with IRNA on Tuesday, Khorshid Gazderazi said that Iran and Qatar have a good background of economic and cultural relations and have great potential to expand ties given their geographical proximity and proper maritime distance.
Qatar is a good consumer of Iranian products and Iran has also a high capacity to link Eurasian countries with Qatar through proper transit routes, Gazderazi said, noting that Iran is still absent in the list of up to ten business partners of Qatar due to sanctions.
She recommended establishment of trading houses in Qatar for Iranian businesspeople to pave the way for Iran's broader presence in the Qatari markets.
Iran has experienced 300-billion-dollar yearly exports to Qatar in the culmination of sanctions against Iran, Gazderazi said while expressing regret over sharp decline in the figure this year.
However, she expressed hope that the condition can change by facilitation and acceleration of release of goods in customs to increase exports to Qatar to 500 billion dollars.
The official noted that Qatari consumers favor Iranian goods and Iranian agricultural products and Building material have good market in Qatar.
70 percent of Iran’s trade with Qatar is done through Bushehr Port in southern Iran, Gazderazi mentioned, adding that the government can facilitate the trade by improving the port’s infrastructure.
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