Iran, Belarus urge expansion of banking cooperation to boost ties

TEHRAN, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Belarus urged expansion of their banking cooperation to develop economic and political relations, Financial Tribune daily reported on Saturday.

Iran is keen on the improvement of Iran-Belarus banking relations, Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri said in a meeting with Andrei Kobyakov, the Belarussian prime minister of the East European state on Friday.

Jahangiri said that even as the United States is trying to dissuade international banks from working with Iran, Iran has managed to reestablish ties with the international communities.

Iran and Belarus have many potentials to cooperate, Jahangiri said, expressing the hope that they can tackle current bilateral trade barriers in the joint commissions of the two countries.

Belarus has purchased two oil shipments from Iran recently, and Iran is ready to expand oil ties with the East European country and welcomes investments in its oilfields, he pointed out.

Jahangiri also thanked the support Belarus lent to Iran in international affairs, stressing on boosting their political relations.

For his part, Kobyakov said his country intends to expand trade and economic ties with Iran, adding that realizing such a goal would require improving cooperation between the banks of both countries.

"We will try to prepare the ground for the officials of the central banks of the two countries to meet and resolve the hurdles," he was quoted as saying.

Iran is "the most important partner of Belarus in the region," and Minsk is willing to increase its trade and economic ties with Tehran to the highest level possible, he added. Enditem