On the first day of the exhibition of introducing the investment packages and export capabilities of Iran’s free and special economic zones in Yerevan, Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki, Advisor to the President and Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free and Special Economic Zones of Iran, accompanied by Hossein Garousi, the CEO of the Maku Free Zone Organization, in order to strengthen commercial exchanges and Transit between the two countries held a meeting with the Minister of Regional Management and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia.
In this meeting, which was held with the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia, Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki, adviser to the president and secretary of the Supreme Council of Free and Special Economic Zones of Iran, pointed to the understanding between the presidents of the two countries to increase trade and transit exchanges, and announced practical solution of Iran’s free zones to achieve this goal.
Explaining the issues related to the amount of customs tariffs at the entry and exit points of the two countries located in the Aras Free Zone, Abdolmaleki said: Free zones and the government of Iran declare their readiness to reduce the import duties of trucks and cargo trailers that enter Iran from Armenia to zero, if the same tariff for the Iranian side is reduced to zero by the government of Armenia.
He considered the high tariff of import duties for Iranian trucks and trailers from the Armenian government as one of the important reasons that has reduced the volume of trade between the two countries.
Also referring to the capacity of the North-South Corridor, Abdolmaleki announced the readiness of the Chabahar and Aras Free Zones as the primary and intermediate bases of this corridor and stated:
The Islamic Republic of Iran can strengthen and improve the cargo transportation route from Chabahar to Aras and from Aras to Armenia with the combined transportation mechanism (sea, road and rail) and using the capacity of commercial and industrial free zones.
The Minister of Regional Management and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, while expressing the golden opportunity of this exhibition for the participation of the private sector of Armenia with Iranian companies and manufacturers, also spoke about the importance of Armenia taking advantage of the rich experience of the Islamic Republic of Iran in creating free and special economic zones.
He stated: The investment packages prepared in Iran’s free and special economic zones will be a guide for many investors and will create a lot of capital.
