Austrian Ambassador to Iran Stefan Scholz surveyed ways of expanding economic cooperation with Chairman of Hamedan Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Ali Asghar Zebardast, ICCIMA news portal reported on Tuesday.
“I have come to Hamedan with two specific goals. First, to identify potential partners and second, as a political gesture. Due to its favorable geographic location and its location on the Silk Road, Hamedan has a vast capacity for economic progress and provides large scope for bilateral cooperation,” Scholz said.
The Austrian diplomat said he intends to introduce Hamedan to potential investors from Austria as well as other European countries.
Scholz said Hamedani officials agree that the focus of cooperation between the two sides should be on expanding small- and medium-sized enterprises, adding that Austria is willing to share its experiences in the field with Iranian businesspeople.
“Fields like green tourism, clean energies, cultural issues and expansion of private sector activities were among subjects discussed in this visit,” the envoy said.
"We consider ourselves as a partner alongside Iran and will help promote the private sector economy in this country."
Zebardast said Hamedan Province has high potentials in a host of fields, including handicrafts, medical services, mineral industries and agriculture, each of which provide ample ground for bilateral economic and commercial cooperation with the Austrian side.
Based on the latest figures released by Eurostat, Iran-Austria trade stood at €577.34 million during the first three quarters of 2018, showing a 70.56% hike compared with the corresponding period of last year.
Iran’s exports to Austria amounted to €374.5 million during the eight-month period, registering a 236.49% surge, while imports stood over €202.83 million, indicating a 10.72% fall.
