Vice President Wu Den-yih has called for Taiwan to open a trade office in Iran.
Speaking Wednesday, Wu said one of the government’s duties is to increase Taiwan’s international competitiveness. He said Iran, the largest and most industrialized country in the Middle East, is a prime choice for a trading partner.
Taiwan does not have a representative office in Iran. Instead, a Taiwan trade center in Tehran promotes bilateral trade. But Wu said setting up a formal trade office in Iran would contribute to the development of trade relations between the two countries.
In response to Wu’s remarks, director of the Taiwan-Iran Business Association, Kim Tsai, said Taiwan needs to diversify its export markets to minimize risk. Tsai said the Islamic World, with its 1.6 billion people, is a promising new market. He said he hopes Taiwanese businesses will work to develop the Iranian market and other markets in Islamic countries around the world.