De Facto Potentials

Turning Possibilities into Realities

Speaking of experience, while in the production process, the efficiency of tools and the people manning them are essential to the desired production level; reaching a reasonable level of improvement in bilateral or multilateral economic relations among the members of the international community also needs to follow similar rules. It follows that to reach that point, we should exploit not only the de facto means, but also turn potentials into deed, especially in this new economic era - the era during which our world has been transformed into a ‘small’ and cohesive village, with inhabitants very different from their descendants. In other words, in such a new economic epoch the world is experiencing, improvement of bilateral and multilateral economic relations between the diverse but collaborating societies within the international community depends on transforming potential resources into de facto resources, together with multilateral utilisation of existing de facto means.

Nonetheless, it has now become ever more evident that prolongation of the Irano British economic relations in a traditional and one-sided way, as in the past, would no longer be either acceptable or possible. The expansion of the Irano British economic relations in a calculated, balanced and realistic manner will depend on closer cooperation of investors and owners of technical know-how on both sides; to utilise the de facto resources, and to transform the potentials into deeds, which is unattainable but by promoting and boosting the medium and small-sized enterprises: a responsibility naturally borne by the IBCCIM in Tehran and BICC in London. A responsibility which necessitates both countries’ SMEs to explore every possible avenue - from exporting infrastructural technical and engineering services, to co-production of food and textile products and co-manufacturing of vehicles, auto parts, and other consumer goods in demand foremost by the Iran’s neighbouring markets with an overall population of over 400 million. One should take this opportunity more seriously with regard to Iran’s new geo-economic situation in the region on the one hand, and its ever-existing geopolitical importance on the other. These neighbouring countries include Afghanistan, in which reconstruction will last for at least ten to twenty years. Other Central Asian countries are in no less need of international help.

Therefore there remains no doubt that success depends on strengthening these two joint chambers of commerce, closer cooperation, and mobilisation of capital and technical know-how in both UK and Iran. Channelling all efforts through the IBCCIM and BICC should, by all means, be our historic and imperative duty.

Dr. Amir Houshang Amini