(IRNA) - Iran and Sri Lanka have agreed to bolster their cooperation in the cooperatives sector, Secretary-General of the Iranian Chamber of Cooperatives Mohammad-Reza Ramezani said here Saturday.
In a meeting with Sri Lankan Ambassador to Tehran Mohammad Zahir, Ramezani added that his country's bilateral ties with Tehran would also receive a further boost in the fields of cooperatives, economy, research and education, reports Trend.
"Cooperative unions, each comprising more than 1,000 affiliated cooperatives, have expressed readiness to cooperate with Sri Lanka in various economic areas," he said.
"The Iranian Chamber of Cooperatives is ready to hold an exhibition in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, and welcomes holding of a Sri Lankan exhibition in Tehran.
"There are opportunities for cooperation by Iran's cooperatives sector with Sri Lanka in the fields of textiles, foodstuff, agriculture, technical and engineering services, import and export of goods," he added.
Ramezani called for establishment of direct flights between Tehran and Colombo.
He said the two sides were currently on the initial stage of concluding an agreement for imposition of preferential tariffs on exports in order to boost their economic cooperation.
He added that the agreement has been presented to Majlis (Parliament) for ratification.
He was optimistic ties between the two countries would receive a boost once the agreement goes into effect.
The Sri Lankan ambassador, for his part, said a law facilitating foreign investment in Sri Lanka will hasten implementation of the agreement.
He said the two sides have ample grounds for expansion of economic cooperation, particularly in exports and imports, and urged officials to take the necessary steps in this respect.