Iran invites Lanka to enhance exports to Middle-East, CIS
Sha JAMALDEEN
Iran's Vice President Hamid Baghaei urged Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to
take advantage of Iran's Chabahar Free Trade Zone - facing the Persian
Gulf and the Indian Ocean -, to promote Sri Lankan exports particularly
tea and other products to the Middle-East and the CIS countries.
He also urged Sri Lankan banks to open branches preferably in any of
the Free Trade Zones and in the capital Tehran to facilitate enhancing
commercial ties between the two countries. The Iranian Vice President
met Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Iran M. M. Zuhair at the ICHHTO
headquarters in Tehran on Wednesday. Baghaei told the Ambassador that
Chabahar FTZ in particular is strategically situated in close proximity
to Iran's major south-eastern port, Bandar Abbas, in the Persian Gulf
with easy sea and air access to the middle-east in addition to a well
serviced rail and highway link to the CIS countries to the North of
Iran.
Business leaders from Sri Lanka could find tax and duty concessions
very attractive to set-up export packaging plants and warehouses for
transmitting goods from land and other facilities available in the
Iranian FTZ at nominal rates.
If Sri Lankan entrepreneurs show interest he was ready to host a
delegation to see for themselves the Chabahar facilities, Iranian Vice
President told Zuhair.
Ambassador Zuhair urged the Iranian side to offer specific proposals
which could be studied by the Sri Lankan side to carry forward the
proposals. He thanked the Vice President for helping promote closer ties
between Sri Lanka and Iran. |