Managing director of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran for Arab-African affairs said based on the latest statistics about $73m worth of products were exported to Syria during the 7 months of the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20).






Farzad Piltan explained that political and security unrest in Syria had led to a drop in the volume of trade between Iran and Syria.

The volume of Iran-Syria trade stood at about $550m ten years ago of which, he said,�$520m was Iran�s exports with $30m related to imports from Syria.

In the wake of increasing trade relations between two countries last year, the trade value reached $170m, he noted.

He said that car parts, kinds of drugs, steel and iron bars, pipe and profile, gas turbine parts, powdered milk, pistachio, valves, sodium carbonate and yeast were among the most important items exported to Syria.

Piltan went on to say that Iranian companies have also $2.2b technical and engineering services to Syria.

Launching a car production line, building electricity posts, water treatment units, mineral oil refining plant, building bridge, launching starch production lines, building refinery, cement factory, glass manufacturing factory, designing and producing transformers building flour factory were among technical and engineering services exported by Iran, the official added.

He further pointed to signing free trade agreement between Iran and Syria and officials� support for developing trade cooperation, cultural and religious commonalities and briefing both sides of capabilities and facilities.

Piltan described establishing trade centers by the private sector especially the joint chamber of commerce as an important step in increasing trade xchanges.