Iran, Malaysia discuss ways to expand agricultural
cooperation

Iranian Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Ali Nikbakht and
Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir stressed the need for the
expansion of bilateral cooperation in the sector of agriculture.

During a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, the two sides called
for the establishment of the Iran-Malaysia Joint Agricultural Cooperation
Committee for the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed by the
two sides in Malaysia in July.

Nikbakht described Malaysia as one of the most important
countries in West Asia and the Islamic world, and attached significance to the
exchange of high-ranking delegations of the two countries in economic and
agricultural fields.

He that the leaders of the two countries are seriously
determined to expand cooperation with Asian countries, including Malaysia.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Nikbakht pointed to 90 percent
self-sufficiency of Iran regarding food security and reiterated that Iran has
managed to attain achievements in recent years in producing basic goods and
important food products.

The Malaysian foreign minister, for his part, termed his
meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials as ‘important and strategic’,
saying they help to facilitate the trade and economic ties between the two
countries.

Expanding the relations with Iran in political, economic,
trade and economic fields is a main policy of the administration of Prime
Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir emphasized.

“Iran can play a key role in meeting
the needs of Malaysia; therefore, we can have extensive cooperation with each
other in the field of poultry and tropical fruits. This cooperation can help
Iran and Malaysia become the hubs of Halal products,” he added.