OREANDA-NEWS. October 16, 2009. The Gomel oblast and the Mazandaran province of Iran will sign a cooperation agreement within the next two days. The agreement as well as other documents will become the basis for promoting economic relations between the two provinces, Mazandaran Province Governor Seyyed Mohammad Karimi told media in Gomel on 15 October. The Governor heads an official delegation of Iran during its visit to the Gomel oblast.

According to the Governor, there are good prospects for organizing the export of Belarusian agricultural products, metals, agricultural machines and other commodities. In turn, Iranian businessmen can offer regular supplies of citrus fruits and other southern ones. In addition, the Mazandaran province boasts substantial deposits of solid fuels that Belarusian companies could help tap into.

15 October saw representatives of the official Iran delegation meet with Gomel Oblast Governor Alexander Yakobson. During the talks that lasted for almost two hours the sides discussed an extensive number of things regarding the development of trade and economic cooperation, mutual promotion of goods and services onto markets of the two countries, establishment of contacts in other areas. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Belarus Seyyed Abdollah Hosseini also took part in the talks.

The visit will last till 18 October. While in Gomel members of the delegation will visit such companies as Belorusneft, Spartak, Gomselmash, enterprises located in the free economic zone Gomel Raton, the National Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology. Members of the Iranian delegation will also visit major industrial enterprises and farm tourism facilities in the Rechitsa, Svetlogorsk, Mozyr regions, getting familiar with the cultural heritage of the region.

The Gomel community center will host the first Belarusian-Iranian regional economic forum on 17 October, Saturday. The Gomel oblast is expected to present around 60 investment proposals which may be interesting for Iranian businessmen. Heads of the 45 largest Iranian companies operating in various industries from the production of food to steel-smelting furnaces, coal-fired power plants, and other metal products are expected to partake in the forum.