MOSCOW, 9 February (BelTA) – Iran is interested in full cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, the press service of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) told BelTA on 9 February, following a meeting between EEC Chairman Mikhail Myasnikovich and Speaker of Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is in Moscow on his first official foreign visit.
The parties discussed the multilateral cooperation and the trade and economic agenda. Attention was given to the status of implementation of the temporary agreement leading to the establishment of a free trade zone between the EAEU member states and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the launch of negotiations on the free trade agreement, and ways to intensify cooperation in general.
“It is important to build on the successful and traditionally friendly relations between the EAEU countries and Iran and adopt new approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness of our joint work,” Mikhail Myasnikovich stressed.
Mikhail Myasnikovich and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf exchanged opinions on the results of and prospects for investment, industrial, and agricultural cooperation and talked about mutual payments and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parties spoke in detail about projects in transport and logistics that could contribute to the growth of trade between the EAEU member states and Iran and help improve transport communications in the whole Eurasian region.
The temporary agreement leading to the establishment of the free trade zone between the EAEU member states and Iran was signed on 17 May 2018 and came into effect on 27 October 2019. During the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 11 December 2020, the EAEU heads of state made a decision to launch negotiations on the free trade agreement with Iran. “Preparations for the first consultations are underway. The work on the free trade agreement is to be finished in three years as from 27 October 2019,” the EEC added.
