The need to redefine trade mechanisms with regional countries in the post-war period: TCCIMA Geopolitical Think Tank
In a specialized meeting of the Tehran Chamber's Geopolitical Think Tank, the prospects for trade relations between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries were examined, and experts discussed and exchanged views on identifying the capacities and obstacles to developing economic cooperation, how to redefine Iran's trade relations with these countries, the role of the private sector in advancing trade diplomacy, and the challenges facing economic activists in uncertain conditions.
In this specialized meeting, Fereydoun Verdinejad, Secretary General of the Tehran Chamber, referred to the role of chambers of commerce in continuing trade cooperation with neighboring countries “In order to achieve the goals of the private sector, the Tehran Chamber will hold a series of joint webinars and seminars with the participation of ambassadors of neighboring countries and in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” he said. According to him, strengthening trade cooperation and striving to continue economic interactions are among the approaches that chambers of commerce can put on the agenda.
He also said: The Tehran Chamber has established a committee to address the issues and challenges arising from the Ramadan War so has tried to present solutions to establish communication and strengthen relations with regional countries, while paying attention to the diversity of policies and regulatory methods in these countries.
The challenges of Iran's trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries were mentioned, including customs and transportation issues, differences in regulatory systems, and obstacles resulting from sanctions.
In another part of the meeting, the Deputy of Economic Studies and Futures Studies of the Tehran Chamber also presented a report on the prospects of cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council based on World Bank data. The report pointed out that the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries have acceptable economic resilience due to their level of development and attention to non-oil exports and are moving towards diversifying their economic structures. The report explained the role of logistics, economic security, infrastructure investments, energy reserves, access to regional markets, proximity to major global markets, economic diversification, and the development of new technologies as key components of the development of these countries, and also analyzed the role of the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic link connecting the regional energy flow and alternative corridors in regional cooperation scenarios.
After presenting the report, the experts present at the meeting discussed the importance of strengthening the interactions of the chambers of commerce to continue trade through the Gulf Cooperation Council. They also emphasized the need to comprehensively examine the trade capabilities of the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries to strengthen cooperation with these countries, and considered it necessary to review policies in line with security and development, change the paradigm in governance, reduce administrative bureaucracies, strengthen transportation infrastructure, develop corridors, and maintain readiness for development conditions in the post-war era.
In another part of the meeting, identifying new capacities for cooperation with the Persian Gulf countries and paying attention to the maritime economy were discussed as solutions for continuing trade cooperation with these countries.