Iran’s largest trade delegation in seven years in Russia, eyeing trade expansion
Iran has sent its largest trade delegation to Russia in seven years, with more than 300 businesspeople from 18 provinces traveling to take part in two international exhibitions and discuss ways to expand bilateral trade, Iranian officials said.
The delegation is attending the International Food and Beverage Exhibition in Moscow and the International Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition in St. Petersburg, IRNA reported.
The businesspeople met on Tuesday with Iran's ambassador to Russia, the governors of Yazd and Bushehr provinces, and the heads of Iran's Fisheries Organization and Veterinary Organization to discuss practical ways to boost trade between the two countries.
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said Iranian businesspeople, who contribute to domestic production and exports, had demonstrated their commitment to the country in practice.
Referring to regional and global developments, Jalali said there was now a valuable opportunity to strengthen trade between Tehran and Moscow.
Jalali cited the full development and operation of the International North-South Transport Corridor and the transfer of Russian gas to Iran as projects that, he said, could sustain the two countries’ trade relations for decades.
The National Iranian Gas Company and Russian gas producer Gazprom signed a 30-year deal last June to transfer Russian gas to Iran. Under the agreement, Iran will receive up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year through a new pipeline that Moscow plans to build across the Caspian Sea.
Jalali also welcomed the establishment of an Iranian trade office in Russia by a private-sector company and expressed hope that the move would accelerate the expansion of trade between the two countries.
Strengthening provincial diplomacy
Yazd Governor Mohammadreza Babaei said at the gathering that the province’s delegation to Russia was aimed at strengthening provincial diplomacy and described the foreign policy establishment’s approach as a valuable initiative.
He highlighted Yazd’s production capabilities and said the province produces more than 900 types of goods, some of which are made for export beyond domestic needs.
Babaei said the province’s capacity to produce 140 materials used in the construction industry, as well as greenhouse products, offered opportunities to expand exports to other countries, including Russia.
Private sector seen as key to expanding trade
Hamzeh Rostampour, head of Iran’s Fisheries Organization, said that Iranian traders’ role in meeting Russia’s needs could provide an opportunity to support domestic production and the economy.
“If we want sustainable trade relations with Russia, we must see a prominent role for the private sector,” Rostampour said, adding that non-governmental operators were already leading the way in fisheries and achieving high levels of output in fisheries and aquatic products.
The deputy agriculture minister said the participation of more than 300 Iranian businesspeople from different provinces in the two international exhibitions in Russia, along with Iran’s national pavilion at the International Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition in St. Petersburg, showed that producers and economic operators were actively supporting the country.
Food security committee
Vahid Salehi, deputy agriculture minister and head of Iran’s Veterinary Organization, said the ministry had established a high-level advisory committee on resilience and policymaking in food security.
He invited producers and other economic operators to join the committee and offer their proposals for strengthening the country’s economy.
Several businesspeople raised concerns, shared their views and proposed solutions at the meeting.
During the trip, members of the large Iranian trade delegation will also hold talks with Russian government and private-sector officials on ways to remove obstacles and expand economic cooperation, in addition to attending the two international exhibitions.
The International Food and Beverage Exhibition in Russia will be held in Moscow from Sept. 15 to 18, while the International Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition will take place in St. Petersburg from Sept. 16 to 18.