Tunisia and Iran to increase trade to $100 million

Tunisia and Iran decided during the meeting of their joint committee in Tehran on Tuesday to strengthen their cooperation and economic exchange.

Tunisian Foreign Minister al-Saeed Bin Mustafa and his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharazi co-signed the protocols of several agreements following the meeting which lasted for two days. The two countries intend to increase the volume of their exchange to reach $100 million during the coming two years. Such an exchange has not exceeded tens of million dollars in previous years.

Among the signed agreements is a contract according to which Tunisia will buy 120,000 tonnes of sulfur at a cost of US $4.5 million and Iran is to buy 10,000 tonnes of Tunisian acidic phosphor for a similar amount of money.

A protocol on cooperation in the area of maritime trade was signed. Another protocol was signed to double the volume of chemical materials exchanged between the two countries.

Relations between the two contries have returned to normalcy in recent years after diplomatic relations were severed for three years when Tunisia accused Iran of supporting activities conducted by Tunisian Islamists in 1987.