Iran Trade Exchange With ECO Members, Significant - Minister

Tehran, Jan 14, IRNA – Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Shamseddin Hosseini said Monday that Iran's trade exchange with the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has been significant despite West's imposed sanctions against the country in the past couple of years. Hosseini made the remarks addressing a meeting with representatives of the ECO members. The minister said Iran's non-oil exports to the ECO member countries stood at over five billion dollars in 2011. Those exports were almost 7.6 million tons in terms of weight, the minister said. Meanwhile, Hosseini added in 2012, Iran's non-oil exports to the ECO countries in the have witnessed 17 and 32 percent growth in terms of weight and value respectively, compared with its preceding year. Moreover, Hosseini said that the amount of Iran's imports from the ECO members in 2011 stood at four billion dollars. ECO is established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey aiming to promote economic cooperation between the member countries which are ten at present./end