INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
deputy industry minister and head of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), Ali expressed
hope that a cooperation agreement between the two countries would be finalized swiftly, avoiding bureaucratic delays.He invited the IMIDRO
chief to visit Niger to explore mining opportunities firsthand and said he hoped a memorandum of understanding would be signed during an
The ambassador also highlighted the importance of developing trade logistics, including shipping and transportation links.Aghajani said Iran
international cooperation.He added that in the first phase of cooperation, IMIDRO plans to expand exports of mineral products and
engineering expertise to Niger, subject to legal and procedural requirements.Several IMIDRO officials, including Somayeh Kholousi, head of
planning and capacity-building for mines, Omid Emami, head of mining development projects, and Amir-Nojan Younesian, director of investment
industry products last year
However, African countries currently represent a small share of that market
Iran has around 7,000 active mines, producing 600 million tons of minerals annually, which are a backbone of domestic production and
employment.In late April, Iran and Niger signed a joint cooperation agreement during the third meeting of their Joint Economic Committee,
Pearl Hall in Tehran and was attended by Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Seyed Mohammad Atabak, Trade Promotion Organization
opening of the meeting.He pointed to the currently low volume of trade between Iran and Niger, stressing that the Trade Promotion
Organization is responsible for following up on and implementing the provisions of the agreement
He also called on Niger to assign a designated organization to oversee the execution of the accord.Dehghan Dehnavi said experts from both
sides had held extensive talks over the past two days to finalize the agreement
noted.He added that the agreement covers mining, energy, industry, and technology transfer
agreement marks a new chapter in Iran-Niger economic and trade relations, adding that additional documents will be prepared by experts for
officially signed by the two ministers at the close of the meeting.EF/MA
This article first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times
