The Bulgarian envoy made the comment in a meeting with deputy Iranian minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, Ali Rasoulian.
Kuneva referred to the decades-long relations between Tehran and Sofia, and said there are still untapped economic capacities which the two sides can use to bolster their ties.
She also said that it is a great chance for the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) to have cooperation with Iran’s Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO).
The Bulgarian envoy called for increased direct ties between small and medium companies of the two countries, and said that based on a new memorandum of understanding Tehran and Sofia will formulate, the BSMEPA and ISIPO will play key roles in expanding economic relations between the two parties.
She said the Covid pandemic has reduced the volume of trade between Iran and Bulgaria to less than $100mn, and expressed hope that the figure would surpass $110mn this year through cooperation between the two organizations.
The Bulgarian ambassador also expressed hope that trade and economic ties between her country and Iran would be facilitated once restrictions on Iran are removed as a result of the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The Iranian official, for his part, stressed that trade and economic ties between the two countries should be increased. He also stressed the importance of supporting small and medium industries with the help of private sector.
Rasoulian referred to the huge capacity existing across Iran, and said, there are more than 48,000 economic enterprises in 832 industrial parks and zones, 81 specialized industrial zones, 4 special economic zones as well as 6 high-tech parks across the country, and invited Bulgarian investors to make investment in Iran.
He also said Iran and Bulgaria can have cooperation in other fields including dairy products and related industries, auto parts and herbal medicine.
The Iranian official expressed hope that the new MoU that Tehran and Sofia are working on results in the expansion of cooperation between economic enterprises of the two countries.
The Bulgarian ambassador was the second European diplomat to meet with the deputy Iranian minister of industry, mine and trade over the past month. The other European official was the German ambassador to Tehran, who also held talks with Rasoulian on how to bolster cooperation between small and medium companies of Germany and Iran. 1424