Aref made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Belarusian Industry Minister Andrei Kuznetsov, who also heads the Belarusian side of the Joint Commission on Cooperation between the two countries.

The vice president stated that expanding collaboration in various fields, given the “very good” political relations between the two nations, is one of the strategic priorities of Iran. He added that the successful convening of the 18th meeting of the Iran-Belarus Joint Commission provides a valuable opportunity to advance comprehensive ties.

Iran and Belarus hold closely aligned positions in international forums and participate together in several regional organizations, Aref added, stressing that commercial and economic exchanges should be increased by strengthening the joint commission’s activities.

Referring to the Iranian president’s recent visit to Belarus, Aref said the trip opened a new horizon for bilateral cooperation.

Aref noted that the private sectors of both countries can play an important role in expanding trade volume. He said both sides should encourage private-sector economic actors to intensify commercial engagement, particularly in light of the free trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union.

For his part, Kuznetsov said Belarus is fully prepared to expand cooperation with Iran across various fields. He noted that the 18th meeting of the joint commission and the agreements reached there could help reinforce economic ties.

Highlighting ongoing joint industrial production efforts, the industry minister said Belarus has set its sights on increasing and enhancing cooperation with Iran. He described Iran as a “friendly and brotherly country” and said the two sides achieved their desired results during the visit, underscoring the need for greater private-sector engagement.