Kyrgyzstan has an opportunity to realize competitive advantages

As reported by Delovaya Eurasia (Business Eurasia), a number of agreements and treaties in the field of economic partnership were signed on the sidelines of the 7th International Exhibition Iran Expo 2025. The editorial board invited the Advisor to the Department of International Relations of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce (TCC), Deputy for International Relations, Abbas Nouri to comment on the event held in Tehran and assess the potential for cooperation between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union.

— Mr. Advisor, the potential of the members of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce actually contains more than 40% of the country's GDP, of all sectors of Iran's industry, including trade, agriculture, mining and industry in all sections and sectors. How did the Chamber come to this result?

— First of all, I would like to welcome you to Expo Iran 2025. With more than a decade of background and history, Tehran Chamber of Commerce is the actually largest and the oldest chamber of commerce in Iran. It has some more than 40,000 members, small, medium-sized companies and big companies in all sectors of industries are members of Tehran Chamber of Commerce. Well, Tehran Chamber of Commerce, we can actually establish ties with other countries, and this is the mission of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, to establish ties, pave the way, facilitate the businesses to negotiate, the businesses to deal with each other at both B2B level, at corporate level, and country level.
And the directing policies, and strategies are designed in a way to facilitate the exchange of information, exchange of delegates, exchange of goods and products and services between the businesses, especially the private sector. Chamber of Commerce this is a center for attracting foreign investment, advising, free advice and free consultation to the companies who wish to enter into Iran's market.
The consultations go from the market information, market intelligence, gathering information, a specific information for marketing purposes, market penetration, market information, branding, registration of brands, foreign brands in the country, granting or acquiring licenses and permissions for the companies who wish to enter into joint venture agreements or joint investments.
The industries range from pharmaceutical, food processing industries, petrochemical, energy sector, mining agriculture and materials. The International Department can establish ties with other chambers.
Especially we are so much glad we could make better arrangements and better connections with Kyrgyzstan Chamber of Commerce in order to exchange the information with the business people with the companies to exchange of the necessary information regarding the delegates, business trips, exhibitions and fairs, and also B2B transfer of knowledge, technology between the companies, and especially given the entrance of Iran to interaction to the Eurasian Economic Union. We are so glad if we could enter into agreements, if we could enter into joint venture cooperation with Kyrgyzstan companies and businesses.

— What are the opportunities to cooperate with Iranian companies and producers? For example, in structure, or may be in chemical industry, or agricultural industry?

— There are very good possibilities and opportunities, actually. Iran holds in both energy second natural oil and gas as the second largest owners of reservoirs, oil and gas reservoirs in the world. We are producers and exporters of oil and gas so definitely Iran is capable for supplying this petrochemical, the chemical materials, raw materials to the companies that need and wish to cooperate and import from Iran. As well as in the sector of food processing Iran is very much specialized in machinery of food processing and agricultural products. Iran enjoys four season so we have different type of agricultural products. As Kyrgyzstan has resources, as well, so these opportunities exist between the two countries and between the businesses of the two countries to shake hands and start doing business. The other resources of infrastructure for road and transportation as we could establish some road transportation and for exchange of goods between the two countries especially it's very important.
Tourism is very much a good area to explore the opportunities too, especially health tourism, given the specialty of Iranian health center and the health expertise and very advanced high-tech hospitals and clinics established in Iran, and relatively lower costs for the treatment makes Iran a center for health tourism.

— What opportunities and capacities do you see in the Eurasian Economic Union market? What is important for Iran in this large market?

— Yes, luckily Iran has been able to enter into a partnership with Eurasian Economic Union. These five big countries which are very resourceful. And the given tariffs, the incentives, given to the countries and mutual actually agreements between the countries or multilateral agreements between the countries, it gives very good opportunities to both – Iran and other countries, because they can reach to a much bigger population.
There are more than 200 million population exist in these five countries, so it gives a better opportunity for marketing, finding new markets and finding new venture agreements and cooperation.

— There is some interesting question about the import and export goods from market of Iran and from market of Eurasian Economic Union. What products and what goods may be useful for Iranian market? How do you think what is important to import to Iran from the EAEU market, so as it is known that Iranian agriculture, chemicals and structures produce almost all products.

— Iran is quite rich in agriculture, for example that you mentioned. But, given the fact that irrigation system and water is scarce so Iran needs to have, to import actually some products, fruits, especially, let's say, from other countries. Because of the scarcity of water, I believe there are many good opportunities for companies like Kyrgyzstan’s, that are resourceful in terms of water and cotton for example or other materials that are need for production in here. So, I believe for agriculture products there is good opportunity both to export to Iran and for other countries in Eurasia to import from Iran. A given the tariffs, given the incentives and especially the advantage of land transportation between Iran and other countries for agricultural products, is very important and also for medical equipment, pharmaceutical equipment, pharmaceutical products, related to health it's, very good opportunity to establish ties and for the companies to cooperate.

— Thank you very much.

Pavel Vlasov
Business Eurasia