The president and members of the board of representatives of Isfahan Chamber of Commerce discussed and exchanged opinions with the Thailand ambassador to Iran about the capacities of interactions and trade between Isfahan and Thailand.
Amir Keshani, the president of Isfahan Chamber of Commerce said in this meeting: The turning point of public and official relations between the the governments of Iran and Thailand (Siam), goes back to the Safavid era (16th Century A.D.). Thailand could be the gateway for the products of Isfahan to the ASEAN region.
Iran, too, can be the gateway for Thai products to enter the 500 million consumers in the Middle East and West Asia market, a suitable situation for cooperation in the fields of agriculture, food industry, construction and petrochemical products. Thailand has been one of the successful countries in the field of tourism, whereby in 2023, 27 million tourists visited this country resulting an income of 70 billion dollars.
With respect to the fact that Isfahan is the tourism hub of Iran, it would be good to benefit from Thailand's experience in the field of tourism industry by holding conferences, training workshops and hotel management courses to the benefit of the industry.
Fereshteh Amini, the head of the Export Development and Import Management Commission and a member of the board of representatives of Isfahan Chamber of Commerce, also stated in this meeting: From a commercial point of view, we are very happy that the Thai government has appointed a commercial counselor in their embassy in Iran, and this matter helps use the capacities and economic and commercial facilities between the two countries.
Steel, petrochemical, mineral, and agricultural products and medical equipment are among the main export items of Iran to Thailand, and Isfahan ranks first in the country in almost all those fields. Therefore, the expansion of trade between Isfahan and Thailand can be of mutual benefits. We would like to invite the business adviser of Thailand to Chamber of Commerce and introduce the economic capacities and potentials and the ways to expand cooperation between the economic actors of Isfahan and Thailand.
Mustafa Dolatyar, the director of the representative office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Isfahan province, also stated: There are many capacities for trade between Isfahan and Thailand, which remain unknown and need to be discovered. Therefore, we suggest that the economic advisor of Thailand also travel to Isfahan and get to know the economic capacities of Isfahan.
The conference of the heads of chambers of commerce is a good opportunity to expand trade and interactions between the two countries. The presidents of the chambers of commerce are professionals in the field of business and management and can establish good communication with their counterparts and do not need diplomatic relations.
This conference is not only specific to Isfahan and the presidents of the chambers of commerce of other provinces are also present and it is a suitable national opportunity to share and exchange ideas with economic activists of Thailand.
Pichit Boonsud, the ambassador of Thailand to Iran, also said: the duty of diplomats is to open ways and paths for businessmen so that they can do business and cooperate with each other. Added to these, most important issue is that there are concrete and clear results for the private sector activists on both sides, so that these relations become stable and deep. Thai business and economic delegations tend to visit Iran and Isfahan and learn about cooperation capacities. We have a desire to deepen the communication and interaction between Thailand and Isfahan, and I am fully ready for this interaction and cooperation.