DUSHANBE (Dispatches) – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Reza Salehi Amiri here Wednesday underscored the role of tourism in giving a boost to bilateral trade between Tehran and Dushanbe.
Speaking during an Iran-Tajikistan business forum here, Salehi Amiri said some 8,000 Tajiks visit Iran a year, while 8,500 Iranians travel to Tajikistan.
He said the two countries have agreed to increase bilateral visits to 100,000 per year. The expansion of tourism, he said, will lead to more increased trade and creating more jobs.
Samad Hassanzadeh, the president of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), also addressed the forum, noting that Tehran and Dushanbe can expand cooperation in many areas, including tourism.
He urged the need for Iran and Tajikistan to introduce their tourism attractions, referring to visa waivers for Tajik citizens by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian which enables them to travel to every part of Iran.
Hassanzadeh reaffirmed the commitment of Iran Chamber of Commerce to render proper services to Tajik businesspeople so as to pave the way for increased trade between the two nations.