Iran, Croatia sign deals to boost economic cooperation

Iran and Croatia signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) here on Wednesday to boost economic cooperate, official IRNA news agency reported.

The deals were signed between Iran's Chamber of Commerce and Croatian Chamber of Commerce in the presence of the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his visiting Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

No details were disclosed by Iranian media about the content of the deals.

Iran has had good relations with Croatia, and Zagreb can serve as a gateway for Iran's relations with the European Union (EU) given its geographical position, Rouhani said during a joint press conference with Grabar-Kitarovic before the signing ceremony.

He further said that the two countries should make every effort to boost their ties in diverse economic fields, particularly in energy and transportation, according to Tasnim news agency.

Croatian president's visit to Iran shows the political will of her government to expand bilateral relations, Rouhani added.

For her part, Grabar-Kitarovic described her visit to the Iranian capital as a "turning point" in improving relations between Tehran and Zagreb.

The level of economic cooperation between two countries is inadequate, she said, underlining the need for promoting the mutual ties following the deal between Iran and the world powers last year over the former's nuclear issue.

The Croatian leader arrived here on Tuesday. She is accompanied by a business delegation, comprising representatives of about 60 companies, including main Croatian energy companies Koncar Electrical Industries and the INA oil and gas company.

By now, the annual trade volume between the two countries stands at four million euros (4.5 million U.S. dollars). Endit