Iran's solo exhibition opens

A four-day Solo Exhibition of Iranian products began at the Expo Centre today (Friday), with as many as 60 companies participating in the fair to showcase their products. Iran has held a single country exhibition in Karachi after 15 years, mainly due to the crippling international economic sanctions on it. Petroleum products, liquid fuel, a variety of textile products and carpets, food stuff, electric appliances, plastic products and construction material are some of the products being displayed in the fair.
"People are visiting and showing keen interest in our products, I am expecting some good deals by the end of this fair." an exhibitor of food items told Business Recorder. Iran's Consul General in Karachi, Ahmad Muhammadi, flanked by deputy minister of trade Dr Fayyaz and other officials inaugurated the exhibition, which will continue until February 27.
The president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Zubair Tufail, and the president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shamim Firpo, also attended the ceremony. They also underscored the need for trade expansions between the two countries.
The exhibition is a great opportunity for the companies and businessmen of both countries to utilise each other's capabilities, the consul general said. If the people of the two countries have more information about each other's economic and technological capabilities, the volume of bilateral trade would also increase at the same scale and the people of the two countries would come closer to each other. "The expansion of relations with the friendly, brotherly Islamic country has ever been the top priority in the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy" he said.
Responding to questions from the media, the consul general said absence of banking channels between the two counties was a major barrier in the payment mechanism for bilateral trade. "We are in close contact with the Pakistani government for the resolution of the issue." he said, asking the banking sector representatives to also take up the issue with the government. On the first day, the event recorded visits of delegates from government officials, including Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, official of local business chambers and trade associations.