NGDIR News Section-According to the global figures, Iran ranked among the top 25 exporters and the 20 biggest economies of the world, Industries, Mines and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said on Monday.
  
  
   He said Iran ranks among the top 20 countries of the world in terms of some of the mother industries, including steel, copper and automobile.
  
   Ghazanfari added the country is the 30th biggest food exporter in the world.
  
   Earlier, industries, mines and trade minister said that around 50 percent of Iran's non-oil exports pertained to 100 top companies in the past Iranian year (ended on March 20th March 2011).
  
   He noted the companies exported goods worth 14.3 billion dollars last year.
  
   This shows an increase of 42 percent compared to the figure for the preceding year, the official added.
  
   Speaking in the closing ceremony of the 11th meeting of Iran-Belarus Joint Economic Commission, Mehdi Ghazanfari expressed satisfaction over the talks held in Minsk and said Iran and Belarus have reached agreements to expand trade.
  
   During the meetings, he said, the prospects of Tehran-Minsk cooperation for the coming year were discussed.
  
   The minister added that grounds have been prepared for the implementation of the projects set to increase bilateral cooperation.