A high-ranking delegation of Iranian officials comprised of the country�s top banker and a deputy foreign minister have travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss economic and trade ties between the two countries. �

The official IRNA news agency said in a Wednesday report that the newly appointed Central Bank of Iran Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin had held a meeting with UAE Deputy Prime Minister Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi earlier in the day.

The report said Farzin and Sheikh Mansour had discussed ways to expand financial and banking cooperation between Iran and the UAE.

It said Iran�s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari and Central Bank of UAE Governor Khaled Mohammed Balama as well as UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei also attended the meeting.

The meeting is a first of its kind between top government officials of Iran and the UAE in years. It comes amid efforts by the two countries to boost cooperation in the Persian Gulf region.

The IRNA said in a separate report that Safari had led talks in Abu Dhabi between an Iranian delegation of economic and energy officials and their UAE counterparts.

It said the delegations had discussed increased cooperation between Iran and the UAE in oil and gas, petrochemicals, cargo transit, aviation and tourism sectors.

UAE is a main re-exporting hub in the Persian Gulf region. It is the second largest exporter of goods to Iran after China.

The visit by the Iranian delegation to the UAE comes days after the same delegation traveled to Qatar to�discuss�increased banking and financial ties with the Arab country.

 

 

By PRESS TV