Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayyebnia said expansion of economic ties with the Netherlands is of particular importance to Iran.
Speaking in a meeting with the visiting Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp on Monday, Tayyebnia said cooperation between Iran and the Netherlands dates back to 400 years but recent “misunderstandings” strained their economic relations, Mehr News Agency reported.
“By adopting a knowledge transfer approach, the two countries can expand relations in agricultural, aviation, transportation and water management sectors,” he added.
The Iranian minister said Iran enjoys the most advanced laws on foreign investment, stressing that expansion of trade needs basic tools such as resumption of insurance and banking ties, as well as agreements on customs duties and investment.
The Dutch minister hoped for better relations with Iran and said the Dutch government and companies need to prepare the ground for mutual long-term projects.
Kamp discussed refinery and pipe-laying projects in a separate meeting with the National Iranian Gas Company’s managing director, Hamidreza Araqi.
“Dutch companies are ready to invest in the Iranian gas sector once trade and financial embargos against Iran are lifted,” he said.
“The removal of sanctions is a golden opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation in gas industry.”
Earlier in September, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders paid a two-day visit to Iran and met with President Hassan Rouhani.
Early October, a 14-member delegation from the European country led by Jan Simoness, head of the country’s Trade Development Council, visited Iran and held a meeting with the head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.
The Dutch official then highlighted the advantages of Iranian market, including the country’s proximity to key regional countries, including Russia, the high potential of its workforce and low production costs.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on easing interaction between their private companies and exchange of economic information.
The last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2015) saw trade between the two countries stand at $1.12 billion. Iran’s imports from and exports to the European country constituted $1.51 billion and $69 million respectively.
Dutch Traders Cozy Up to Iranian Counterparts
A Dutch delegation of representatives from over 70 companies arrived in Tehran this week for future possible cooperation in multiple fields.
The delegation, headed by the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp, included company directors and high-level government officials.
The fact-finding Dutch trade team began their mission by attending a roundtable discussion with Iranian counterparts in Tehran.
The two sides discussed the prospects of investing in both traditional and new fields across the country, including water and energy conservation, oil, gas and agriculture.
Issues such as payment gateways and post-sanctions trade activities were high on the roundtable’s agenda.
The Dutch businesses expressed interest in organizing professional training programs, noting the advanced level of some Iranian sectors in keeping abreast of modern technologies and processes “even with five years of sanctions,” one CEO noted.
Among the crowd of small, medium and large multinationals were top officials of Air-France KLM, ING Financial Services, Royal Philips and Shell to name a few.
The delegation also comprised companies attending the summit of Gas Exporting Countries Forum being held in Tehran this week.
This week’s delegation is the first such mission organized by the Netherlands in 14 years, according to the organizers of the event, which included the Netherlands Embassy in Tehran and the Ministry of Economy in Amsterdam.
The Dutch minister noted that the Iran visit “offers me and my country a unique opportunity to lay a new foundation for a fruitful and enduring economic relationship.” Kamp went on to say, “I am delighted to see that so many companies are joining me on this important mission.”
