Envoy: Iran, Russia resolved to increase trade
Iran-russia trade has now reached $500 million because of the determination of both sides to boost interactions, said Iran’s ambassador to Russia.
Mehdi Sanaei added that the current level of Iran-russia economic relations could be raised even higher given the two countries’ vast potentials, reported Fars News Agency.
“Unfortunately, the previous round of sanctions left an adverse impact on economic ties between Iran and Russia, to the point where our banking and trade ties were almost paralyzed,” the Iranian ambassador noted.
He added, however, “currently, we are making efforts to revitalize our economic relations, and we believe that the new round of US sanctions will not have a serious impact on the two countries’ relations”.
He said the Russians have not abandoned any serious project in their interactions with Iran.
“Russia is our partner, and I don’t think the positions of any country in the region are as close to Iran as those of Russia,” Sanaei said.
“I also think that the Russians have the same opinion as Iran’s on international and regional issues, although the two countries have their own particular views on certain topics.”
Sanaei further noted that in the past five years, Iranian and Russian presidents had met and held talks for some 16 times, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had visited Russia for talks with officials for over 20 times in the same period.
In December, 2018, chairpersons of Iranian and Russian chambers of commerce, in a meeting in Tehran, agreed to cooperate on annual Iran-russia trade conference, urging both governments to extend backing to the private sectors in the climate of sanctions.
Chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce Gholamhossein Shafei and his Russian counterpart Sergey Katyrin, in a late Saturday meeting in Tehran, exchanged views on mutual coordination for holding annual Iran-russia Trade Conference was the most significant topic discussed during the meeting, he said.
Noting that the event plays a crucial role in strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries, Katyrin said that last year’s conference hosted by Iran brought suitable feedbacks from the participants.
He maintained that oil and gas, agriculture, foodstuff, transportation and logistics are among the topics which can be discussed during the upcoming Iran-russia Trade Conference.
Shafei said that US sanctions have created new conditions for the two countries’ economic activists which should be used. During the meeting, it was also agreed Iran-russian Trade Conference be held in Saratov, Russia in July.
Russian officials have repeatedly voiced their country’s willingness to broaden ties with Iran.
In August, 2018, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Qassemi Taqizadeh in Moscow that his “country is resolved to broaden defense cooperation with Iran”.