Iranian Minister of Agriculture, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh, announced a $2 billion target to expand agricultural trade between Iran and China during the 10th Meeting of Agriculture Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
Calling SCO member states key agricultural partners for Iran, Nouri highlighted that nations such as China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Central Asian countries are crucial trade allies. He said Iran seeks to expand economic and agricultural relations with these countries both bilaterally and through SCO frameworks, The Caspian Post reports citing Iranian media.
Currently, Iran-China agricultural trade stands at around $1 billion, with exports and imports fairly balanced. However, Nouri stated that given the strong foundations of bilateral relations, the figure can feasibly double to $2 billion in the near term.
He also identified fisheries as a particularly promising area for cooperation and expressed optimism that this visit would help pave the way for accelerated and expanded joint ventures.
Underscoring Iran’s strategic outlook on China, the minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic is committed to deepening and strengthening its relations with Beijing.
During a separate meeting with Belarusian Minister of Agriculture Yuri Gorlov, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral agricultural ties.
Minister Nouri thanked Belarus for its supportive stance during the Israeli regime’s aggression and expressed Iran’s readiness to cooperate in areas including agricultural mechanization, livestock farming, dairy industries, and joint fertilizer production projects. He also highlighted Iran’s interest in exporting fruits, vegetables, and dried nuts to Belarus.
Minister Gorlov reiterated Belarus’s support for Iran’s principled positions and commended the active Iranian presence at this year’s agricultural expo in Minsk. He welcomed the progress in agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
With President Raisi’s upcoming visit to Minsk, both parties agreed to sign three cooperation agreements covering veterinary and livestock quarantine, forestry, and agricultural research.
Meanwhile Minister Nouri also met with his Tajik counterpart, Qurbon Hakimzoda, to discuss strengthening agricultural cooperation.
Referencing Iran’s foreign policy focus on deepening ties with neighboring and friendly countries, Nouri said enhanced agricultural collaboration is a key part of these strategic efforts. He stressed the importance of food security and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to joint agricultural projects.
Nouri thanked Tajikistan’s government and people for their solidarity during recent Israeli attacks and for standing by Iran.
Minister Hakimzoda praised the resilience of the Iranian people and reiterated Tajikistan’s support for Iran. He expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of the countries’ first joint agricultural committee and welcomed the progress on previous agreements.
The two ministers discussed investment opportunities in food processing industries, development of agricultural mechanization, livestock, aquaculture, and other key sectors. They also agreed to convene the second joint agricultural committee meeting in the near future.
