Iran/Africa services planned

Iran/Africa services planned Regular shipping services between Iran and Africa will be launched on Dec. 6, according to Mehdi Ghazanfari, Iran’s deputy commerce minister for international affairs.
   The Islamic Republic News Agency reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) will operate service from the port of Bandar Abbas to the East and South coasts of Africa, and from the West and North coasts of Africa back to Bandar Abbas.
   The service is aimed at increasing demand for transporting non-oil goods to the continent and in line with government trade with Africa.
   The report said outbound ships will call Mombasa, Zanzibar and Durban, while inbound service from Alexandria, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Freetown will be offered.
   According to the report, IRISL has a fleet of 112 ships and transports more than 22 million tons of cargo annually.
   The report quoted Parviz Davoudi, Iran’s first vice president, as saying the country plans to develop trade in technical and engineering, dam building, power transmission, and telecommunication fields with Africa.
   Davoudi put Iran’s transactions with Africa, excluding oil exports to South Africa, at $600 million annually. Trade rose by 60 percent this year compared to 2006, he added.