Minister: Iran Can Become Corridor for BRICS Member States to Exchange Crops
Mohajer made the remarks after attending the 14th meeting of the agriculture ministers of the BRICS group of emerging economies held recently in Moscow.
The deputy Iranian agriculture minister noted that Iran's geographical location which is situated in a strategic place allows for exporting many products of the BRICS member countries through the international North-South, East-West, and through railway, land and air corridors.
"By strengthening the corridors, Iran can use this great potential for the exchanges of BRICS member countries," he said.
He also said that BRICS member states make up more than 40 percent of the population of world and account for 30 percent of the world’s economy, therefore that the BRICS member states have a privileged position in producing, trading and exporting food products.
Mohajer, who headed the Iranian delegation at the Moscow meeting, also said, "Russia can easily meet our needs for corn and soybeans and the products such as vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, apples and kiwis that the Russians need can be supplied to them by our country."
According to him, it was decided to form two working groups in the Moscow meeting so that these working groups can solve the rules and regulations in the field of veterinary medicine, herbal medicine and cold chain.
"Given that Russia has a very large fleet of air transport, we can directly export crops from Jiroft, Dezful, Bushehr and Bandar Abbas [in South and Southwest Iran] to the cold countries during the cold weather of 30 temperature degrees below zero in Russia. This commercial potential and capabilities is a great opportunity for our country, which we must strengthen," the deputy minister also said.
"Countries such as India and China alone account for nearly half of the world's population. Brazil is a very large country. South Africa has very good economic and political relations with us, as well as African countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, etc., which recently joined BRICS, they can be a gateway for our exports to these countries and for the imports of their products into our country," he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the official said that almost 40% of the grain in the world is traded by BRICS member states and these countries can easily export those products to the world through Iran’s Southern ports.
He went on to note that Iran can also play a part in the imports of the corn and soybean products of countries like Brazil to the BRICS member countries.
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