Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif outlined six top priorities of the economic diplomacy pursued by his ministry in light of a recent call by the Leader of Islamic Revolution for the promotion of domestic products.
"Three import sectors, namely the technology, investment and tourism, and the three export sectors of non-oil goods, technical and engineering services, as well as skilled workforce have been identified as the six strategic priorities of the economic diplomacy," Zarif said in a recent talk with state radio.
In a bid to help make the economy more self-sufficient, Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has named the new Iranian year, which began on March 21, the year of "Support for Iranian Products".
"If domestic production is accelerated through efforts and follow-up by everyone, many of the people's livelihood problems as well as employment and investment issues will be resolved and social problems will largely decrease," the Leader said in his New Year message.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who has in recent years repeatedly emphasized the importance of insulating the economy from sanctions and hostile foreign activity, said supporting domestic products and industries plays a significant role in easing the economic woes facing the country.
Pointing to the Leader's call, Zarif said that "three among [the mentioned sectors], namely technology and investment imports and non-oil exports, are directly related to this year's motto."
Crucial Imports
"Importing technology and investment would result in an improved quality of Iranian goods, adding to their competitive advantage in local and foreign markets," the top diplomat noted.
Ayatollah Khamenei said in his message that despite the effective measures taken over the past few years, a lot more needs to be done to boost national production and employment.
Tackling high unemployment has been among the most formidable challenges facing President Hassan Rouhani's government.
The Foreign Ministry has undergone a major restructuring over the past year or so, including the establishment of an internal economic office, which Zarif said has been intended to fall in line with the Leader's call.
Rouhani's government has made efforts to counter the effect of the US unilateral sanctions by reassuring the deterred overseas firms and investors that it is safe to transact with Iranians.
Those efforts include the establishment of an economic department in the Foreign Ministry last year tasked with coordinating Iran's economic activities abroad and promoting lucrative investment opportunities offered by the Iranian market.
In the same vein, under the structural reforms introduced in January, Zarif issued decrees to appoint his new deputies and other top officials of the diplomatic apparatus.
The ministry's spokesperson, Bahram Qasemi, later said the changes were aimed at streamlining bureaucracy to facilitate prompt response to international developments.
