Tehran : Australian Deputy Ambassador to Iran hailed the grounds of cooperation between the two countries and stressed that his country was trying to expand the bilateral relations to the level before the sanctions.

Timothy John Peterson in a meeting with Managing Director of Anzali Free Zone Organization on Sunday evening said that given the reopening of the Australia’s Trade Office in Tehran in the last year, the grounds for expanding cooperation between the two countries in different sectors including gas and oil, mining, agriculture and fishery are available.

He also expressed hope that the successful experience of Australian experts in managing water resources, agricultural products and environmental issues could play a role in joint cooperation between the two countries.

Managing Director of Anzali Free Zone Organization Reza Masrour, for his part, emphasized legal advantages and exemptions of the region, as well as its various industrial capacities and capabilities with regard to export and trade in The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and said, ‘The Caspian Port Complex is a good place for passing the Australian consignments to the countries around the Caspian Sea and through the INSTC.’

Pointing to the Australia’s global ranking in agriculture and the related industries, environmental issues and maritime industries on one hand, and Gilan Province natural potentials for bilateral cooperation especially with regard to tea and rice on the other, he suggested holding an Iranian-Australian specialized joint exhibition in Anzali Free Zone.

Anzali Free Zone is the only region of the kind in northern Iran at the Caspian Sea. The region enjoys a vast market of neighboring countries, Turkey and Persian Gulf countries as well as south eastern Asian countries for import and export.

Being on INSTC and in vicinity of Russian Astrakhan and Lagan ports, the Kazakh Aktau, and Baku in Azerbaijan, being close to Rasht International Airport as well as its access to The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets are among Anzali Free Zone advantages.

—IRNA