TEHRAN- The head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, in a meeting with the head of the Kenya Chamber of Commerce, described Kenya—due to its strong financial infrastructure and the strategic port of Mombasa—as the most important gateway for Iran and other countries to the African market, and stated: Iran sees Kenya as a strategic and reciprocal partner and can play a role as a gateway for Kenya to Central Asia and Eurasia.

Samad Hassanzadeh, Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), during a trip to Nairobi, in a meeting with Eric Ruto, President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), congratulated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Kenya Chamber.

He described Dr. Ruto’s membership in the General Council of the World Federation of Chambers as a foundation for cooperation between the two chambers in international chamber forums, and said: The statistics of trade exchanges between Iran and Kenya, despite the very good capacities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kenya’s capacities, are not at an appropriate level, and the chambers of commerce of the two countries can provide very good opportunities together.

Referring to the restrictions caused by economic sanctions on our country’s economic relations, the head of the Iran Chamber noted: In the private sector and chambers of commerce, we have a heavy responsibility toward our nations, and we must help properly and fulfill these duties.

He described Kenya—due to its powerful financial infrastructure and the strategic port of Mombasa—as the most important gateway for Iran and other countries to the African market, and stated: Iran sees Kenya as a strategic and reciprocal partner and can play a role as a gateway for Kenya to Central Asia and Eurasia.

Hassanzadeh enumerated Iran’s capacities, emphasizing the fields of health and medicine, agriculture, energy, petrochemicals and fertilizer, infrastructure, housing, and technology, and considered these capacities aligned with Kenya’s development needs. He emphasized: Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has been under sanctions for several decades, despite the sanctions it has achieved very large capacities, and we are interested and consider it a duty to share these capacities with African countries.

He announced the readiness of Iran’s private sector to participate in supplying medicine and medical equipment, and also in joint production in Kenya in line with the policy of domestic production of medicine, and said: In the field of agriculture and food security, we are ready to transfer technical knowledge in mechanization, modern irrigation, processing and conversion industries, and reducing post-harvest waste, and for joint investment with Kenyan partners in the agricultural value chain.

Hassanzadeh, stating that Iran has a competitive advantage in bitumen, petrochemical products, and chemical fertilizer and is ready to participate beyond the supply of goods in energy development projects and renewable energies, also said regarding Iran’s capacities in infrastructure, housing, and technology: We are ready to share the capabilities of Iranian companies in construction, dam building, power plants, mass housing, and information technology in order to participate in Kenya’s development projects.

The head of the Iran Chamber named joint investment by Iranian and Kenyan economic actors in overseas cultivation, road construction, and the establishment of petrochemical and refinery industry facilities as other areas of interest for developing economic cooperation between Iran and Kenya.

The Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, expressing interest in sustainable trade between Iran and Kenya and the import of tea, coffee, and other agricultural products from Kenya, emphasized: With most countries, we develop trade through barter for greater cooperation.

In explaining ways to facilitate trade between the two countries, he emphasized establishing direct flights between Tehran and Nairobi to ease the movement of traders from the two countries, and invited Dr. Ruto to travel to Tehran at the head of a trade delegation and stressed expanding the dispatch and reception of trade delegations between the two countries.

Seyed Mehdi Tabibzadeh, President of the Kerman Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, also in this meeting, referring to the diverse capacities of different Iranian provinces, called for the formation of a joint business committee and the removal of trade obstacles, including customs and tariff barriers, and emphasized facilitating trade communications.

The head of the Kerman Chamber noted that the establishment of a permanent center for displaying Iranian products in Nairobi can be examined.

Eric Ruto, President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also welcoming the presence of the head of the Iran Chamber and the accompanying delegation in Nairobi, emphasized that attracting the participation of economic actors from other countries in dam construction, road construction, mining, and health services is important for Kenya.

Mostafa Ramadan, Vice President of the Kenya Chamber, also considered the current figures for trade between the two countries insufficient given the population and capacities of Iran and Kenya, and said: Iran cn gain access to Africa’s market worth over one billion dollars through Kenya.

He said: Energy, logistics, and technical and engineering services are among the areas where Iran has high advantages and can increase its presence in these fields in the Kenyan market, and the Kenya Chamber should take the necessary measures to remove obstacles to Iran’s presence in this field.

MA