Iran’s trade with Africa double since Raeisi administration: Official

A senior official at Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture said the Islamic Republic's trade with Africa has doubled since the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi came to office.

Expounding on the significant achievements of Raisi’s visit to three African nations, namely Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Deputy Ministry of Agriculture Alireza Paymanpak pointed out that the continent has the focal attention of advanced countries and emerging economies, including Turkey and China.

Promoting economic interactions with Africa has been put at the top of the agenda of Iran since the current administration took office (August 2021) due to the same reason, Paymanpak continued.

Of a total $1.2 trillion value of trade in the African continent, about $600 billion is related to imports while the same amount is related to exports, he noted.

The deputy minister of agriculture went on to say that the value of Iran’s trade with African countries has reached from $600 million since the beginning of the current administration to $1.2 billion now, stressing that the country can import a part of its requirements to protein from Africa.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Paymanpak pointed to the fisheries sector and said that a cooperation agreement was inked between Iran and Kenya, according to which, Iranian fishers can take advantage of coastal areas of this African nation.

Extraterritorial cultivation was also discussed between Iranian and Ugandan officials during the presidential visit and it was agreed that the government of Uganda provide Iran with 10,000 ha of agricultural land for this purpose.

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