Madrid, Aug 10, IRNA – Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa strongly condemned uproar created by government opposition groups and defended again his policy of trade exchange with Iran.
In a press conference in Quito, capital of Ecuador, Correa said Iran is a very good market for us, with about 80 million population and high oil income and it needs to import foodstuffs, so we continue our trade exchange with Iran.
He underlined that Iran-Ecuador commercial relations are within UN resolution framework and selling banana to Iran should not worry anybody.
Equadorian opposition groups, on the pretext of UN, US and EU sanctions against Iran, have created an uproar against the government about the two countries' program concerning money exchange through third country.
Correa said that the UN resolutions are only about weapons and nuclear facilities trade and it does not include other trade exchanges.
He added that the aim of Equador's trade negotiations is national interests of the country, and for such an issue, we do not ask permission from anybody.
The leftist president of Ecuador, by referring to the USA, said that we do not believe in masters, because Ecuador is an independent state with dignity.
Correa referred to Iran's commercial exchanges with different countries and said USA exports 229 million dollars of goods annually to Iran, Japan exchanges more than one billion and 700 million dollars, France 2 billion and 300 million dollars, Brazil 2 billion and 332 million dollars and Italy 2 billion and 589 million dollars.
He continued that Russia trade exchange with Iran exceeds 3 billion and 398 million dollars, Turkey 3 billion and 590 million dollars, Germany 4 billion and 300 million dollars, South Korea 6 billion dollars, China 14 billion dollars and other countries totally 11 billion dollars.
Correa said that compared with other countries, our trade exchange with Iran is almost zero and it should be improved.
Commercial exchange level between Iran and Ecuador last year was around 12 million dollars and the most important item was banana with more than 90 percent of exporting items and then fruit powders, wood and flowers.
Iran is exporting oil products, petrochemical products, dairies and medicine; it also has some investment in Ecuador.
Tehran and Quito have established political ties since five years ago, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Quito, but commercial exchanges started three years ago.
