Minister hails growing ties with EAEU as free trade deal takes effect
Iran’s trade with member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is accelerating, and the Islamic Republic is preparing to take a more active role in the bloc, Industry Minister Mohammad Atabak said on Tuesday.
“The operational process of the free trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union began in May this year,” Atabak told the intergovernmental council of EAEU prime ministers in the Belarussian capital of Minsk. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to take a stronger role in the union’s mechanisms and actively propose new ideas,” IRNA reported.
The EAEU signed a three-year roadmap with Iran on Friday to enhance economic cooperation across various sectors. The event followed the implementation of Iran’s free trade agreement with the EAEU, which took effect on May 15, 2025, eliminating tariffs on approximately 87 percent of goods traded between Iran and the bloc.
Atabak noted that while trade with EAEU members is expanding rapidly, it still “has far to go to reach an optimal level.” He stressed that broadening cooperation with neighboring and regional countries remains a cornerstone of Iran’s economic diplomacy.
“Active participation in EAEU meetings underscores the importance of member states in Iran’s economic diplomacy and foreign policy, reflecting our commitment to developing bilateral cooperation,” he said.
The minister added that such collaboration “will enhance the welfare of peoples in the region, strengthen multilateralism, and promote lasting peace.” He described the full implementation of the free trade agreement and the creation of a free trade zone with the EAEU as “a milestone in the history of trade and economic relations of the member countries.”
To support Iranian companies entering the EAEU market, the Tehran Chamber of Commerce said it will host the Fourth Iran-Eurasia Strategic Forum on October 22 in Tehran under the theme “Trade, Diplomacy and the Emerging Regional Order.” The forum will focus on leveraging new technologies and smart strategies to help Iranian firms access the regional market.
Strengthening regional
trade ties
Meanwhile during his visit to Belarus, the Iranian minister held intensive consultations with prime ministers and senior officials of the Eurasian Economic Union, with a focus on strengthening regional trade ties.
Atabak, who chairs the Iran-Belarus Joint Economic Committee on behalf of Tehran, represented First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref at the EAEU Council of Prime Ministers. He also held separate discussions with Belarusian ministers and senior economic and industrial officials.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Minsk International Innovations in Industry Exhibition, Atabak told the assembled EAEU prime ministers, ministers, and officials that the region’s future depends on the determination of its leaders and decisions made in the interest of their people.
He stressed the need to harness new technologies and to foster greater convergence among regional states through scientific capacity. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on its scientific and technological strengths and with a forward-looking approach, is determined to open a new path for fair, sustainable, and peaceful development alongside its neighbors and partners,” he said.
Atabak added that the pursuit of this path would lead to a future where science, industry, and technology serve the welfare.