TEHRAN,Iran, May 5
Trend:
Iran and Venezuela have golden opportunity to improve trade, former Iranian Ambassador in Venezuela Ahmad Sobhani told Trend.
"Venezuela is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of underground resources, despite the current US sanctions. The country has the largest oil reserves in the world and ranks higher than Saudi Arabia," he said.
"Venezuela is a mineral heaven with its rich gold, diamonds, iron ore and aluminum bauxite mines. The vast rivers have high potential for agriculture production, but raw sale of basic materials and import created problems for the country, something that Hugo Chavez wanted to reform," he said.
"Iran was the biggest catalyst importer for petrochemicals but after the US sanctions, the country turned into catalyst producer with even better quality, cheaper price, Venezuela needs this material and it’s a golden opportunity for Iran's export," Sobhani said.
"Iran can easily have profitable trade with Venezuela," he added.
"Venezuela has problem in power and gas industry and we can help, while the country has always paid Iran. Iran's private companies have constructed housing projects in Venezuela and always got paid for them," Sobhani said.
"Iran has also exported machinery to Venezuela for dairy, refrigerators, corn flour, alongside industrial pipes," he said.
"The trade ties between two countries from Mohammad Khatami's government continued to develop in Ahmadinejad's presidential term. But during Hassan Rouhani's government, the relations reduced to zero, but in past year we have witnessed some rise in trade," Sobhani noted.