Malaysia Hosts Conference on Iran’s Trade Opportunities

Iran’s capacities for investment and trade were introduced in the one-day conference in the Malaysian capital, the Malaysian media reported.

The conference was organized by the Malaysian Federation of Producers and was attended by Iranian Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur Marziyeh Afkham and a number of Malaysian banking and financial officials.

“Iran with a population of 80 million as well as an organized economy is the second biggest economy in the Middle East and North Africa,” Head of the International Trade Committee of Malaysian Federation of Producers John Lee said, addressing the conference.

He reiterated that petrochemicals, oil and gas, healthcare and pharmaceuticals are among the areas with numerous opportunities for investment and cooperation with Iran.

In 2015, the value of Iran-Malaysia trade balance hit $532 million, but both countries intend to raise the figure to one billion dollars in the near future.

In relevant remarks in late December, Afkham and Director of Malaysian National Library Nafisah Ahmad in a meeting in Kuala Lumpur called for broadening of mutual cooperation.

During the meeting in the Malaysian capital, Afkham and Ahmad explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral ties in different areas.

“The two nations can well widen relations in different areas as both have got good information about each other’s cultures and histories,” Afkham said during the meeting.

The Iranian envoy described culture as the most important element determining relations among nations and governments.

The director of Malaysia’s National Library, for her part, said that the present cultural event can be a point of departure for strengthening of cooperation between Iran and Malaysia.