Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Iran’s pavilion in Shanghai Free Trade Zone, Seyyed Ziaeddin Shojaei-Borhan added that Iran-China trade exchange amounted to over $37.2 billion in 2017, up by 20 percent compared to the figure for the year earlier.
“Iran-China ties as the two ancient countries with millennia-old civilizations have always been friendly and now China is the first economic and trade partner of Iran,” he said.
Iran is one of the founding countries of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and supports the One Belt and One Road s Strategy, he said.
The strategy underlines China's push to take a bigger role in global affairs with a China-centered trading network.
Noting that Iran is the second biggest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Shojaei-Borhan said Iran’s gross domestic product stood at $1.5 trillion in 2017.
Iran with a population of 80 million is the second most populated country and the biggest market in MENA, he said.
The official also invited Chinese investors to make investment in Iran and take advantage of the country’s excellent privileges.
Despite serious crises facing the region, Iran is the safest country in the Middle East which can attract foreign capitals, he said.
Iran’s pavilion opened in Shanghai Free Trade Zone on Wednesday as a permanent exhibition to display Iranian exported goods and modern technologies.
