[eco]
Increasing trade centers abroad atop agenda: TPO official

TEHRAN - Establishment of more overseas trade centers is among the top priorities of Iran, a senior official in Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPO) told ISNA on Sunday.

Iran plans to hold permanent exhibitions in such trade centers which will be founded in neighboring as well as African counties including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Armenia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, to present Iranian products to foreigners, Reza Abbasqoli added.

TPO will cooperate with the Iranian private sector to meet the target in this regard, he stressed.

As TPO announced in early April, 28 countries will host exclusive Iranian exhibitions in the current Iranian calendar year which started on March 20.

Iraq with running nine Iranian fairs and Oman with holding five exhibitions are among the top destinations for Iranian companies to showcase their products and services. 

The countries that granted license for Iranian exhibitions include Oman, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Russia, Qatar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Lebanon, Algeria, Turkey, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Hong Kong, Armenia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, France, South Africa, Serbia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Sudan, Egypt and Pakistan.

Iran has set a target of $77.5 billion in non-oil exports for the current year, according to Mojtaba Khosrotaj, the Iranian deputy industry, mining, and trade minister.  

HJ/MG