Interview: CIIE contributes to global trade, world's economic prosperity, says Iran's top saffron producer

TEHRAN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- By helping develop trade and friendly relations among firms from different countries and regions, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) substantially contributes to the expansion of global trade and the world's economic prosperity, said the CEO of Iran's top saffron production company.

The expo provides the participating companies with a unique opportunity to better present themselves at the international level, Ali Shariati-Moghadam, CEO of Novin Saffron company, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Born in Kashmar County, the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan Razavi, Shariati-Moghadam started to cultivate saffron on a piece of land given by his mother at the age of 14.

Founded in 1992, Shariati-Moghadam's company is a top Iranian exporter. He received a medal and plaque of honor from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last month.

"My company's participation in the CIIE has a strategic feature," said the CEO.

The CIIE's fifth edition is set to be held in Shanghai on Nov. 5-10. Shariati-Moghadam hopes to present his company's products, ranging from high-quality saffron to its byproducts such as saffron instant beverage powder, to the Chinese market through the upcoming expo.

He described China as a favorable and lucrative market for his company's products, owing to a more health-conscious public with a rising purchasing power.

He said his company has defined a mission to present saffron to mainly East Asian countries, like China, Japan and South Korea, as a food ingredient.

"We are very interested in presenting our products at the expo and even seek to begin joint production of some of them in China in the future, as saffron and such Chinese medicinal herbs as ginseng, and green tea, can make a very good combination," Shariati-Moghadam noted.

This would be his first participation in the CIIE. "I count on the upcoming expo as a new start and a turning point in my company's activities and cooperation with Chinese businessmen," the Iranian businessman said.

As a major international exhibition with leading companies from different corners of the world participating, the CIIE provides firms around the globe with the opportunity to "experience a real-life small-scale global village", to "meet and know each other better, exchange experiences and expand their businesses," he said.

While his company will see its debut in the CIIE, Shariati-Moghadam said he has already taken part in several other exhibitions in cities like Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

"My previous participation in Chinese expos gave me the feeling that the country's market has a huge potential for joint projects in the field of saffron production," he said.

Shariati-Moghadam said he noticed a growing number of European participants in Chinese exhibitions, "an indication of their popularity and importance."

"In my previous participations in other Chinese exhibitions, what caught my eye was the rapid development of the country, which makes it a favorable market for cooperation," said Shariati-Moghadam.

"I maintain that China has chosen the right path for development," and "over the past decades, it has managed to eliminate a large number of cumbersome regulations and has also made huge and diverse international investments," he said.

The CIIE "gives China's value and supply chains an important advantage," and "helps facilitate trade relations and contacts among companies from different parts of the world," Shariati-Moghadam added.