Iran's commerce minister met with the Swiss ambassador to Tehran and called for an increase in commercial and trade ties.
The Mehr News Agency quoted Mehdi Ghazanfari saying that the two countries have very good political relations and commercial ties between the two could be enhanced by the exchange of information, joint cooperation and greater investment of Swiss companies in Iran.
He pointed to his positive and constructive negotiations with Swiss officials on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference in Geneva and said, "I hope that with the support of member states, and without any political pressure, Iran's membership process in WTO is concluded in the shortest possible time."
The Swiss ambassador to Iran noted the growing trend of relations between the two countries and cited her countries readiness to expand commercial and trade ties with Iran.
Livia Leu Agosti also expressed hope that Iran's membership process in WTO takes the shortest possible time.
Switzerland and Iran have bilateral trade connections, mostly in the energy sector, and in March 2008, Swiss company Elekrtrizitaetsgesellschaft Laufenberg (EGL) signed a $42 billion energy agreement with the National Iranian Gas Export Company.