A delegation from Slovakia left Iran on Saturday after a weeklong visit aimed at scoping out possible opportunities to develop bilateral trade ties in different areas, including glass design and manufacturing, drilling and excavation, paper and printing industry, mineral industries, medicine, petrochemicals, agriculture, gas, defense equipment , energy and power plants.
The Slovak delegation paid a visit to the central city of Isfahan on Wednesday and met with head of Isfahan’s Chamber of Commerce, Abdolvahhab Sahlabadi, who suggested that the two sides make joint investments in industrial and tourism sectors, noting that Isfahan is Iran’s leading province in production of steel, construction material, textile and agricultural products, apart from being a globally recognized tourist attraction.
Observing that Slovakia has a population of about 5 million and is a member of the European Union, President of the Bratislava Chamber of Commerce Igor Jonas, who was also present at the meeting, said Slovakia could act as Isfahan’s gateway to the EU countries.
Another member of the visiting delegation, Slovakia’s ambassador to Tehran, Jan Bory also highlighted Slovakia’s fast growing economy, noting that Slovakia can cooperate with Isfahan in development of modern irrigation systems.
While both Iranian and Slovak officials have on various occasions called for expansion of bilateral trade, trade between the two countries remains trivial.
Iran’s exports to Slovakia have remained flat at about $5 million over the past three years, comprising mainly of agricultural products including dates, nut, dried fruit, grape, saffron and pistachio.
Meanwhile, Iran imported nearly $5 million worth of various goods from Slovakia during the past Iranian year (ended March 20). Imports from Slovakia include mainly mechanical goods such as ball bearings, gearbox and cogwheel, medical equipment and packaging machineries. Iran’s imports from Slovakia in 2011, 2012 and 2013 stood at $9 million, $7 million and $6 million respectively.
