Russian Ambassador: Free trade talks with Iran are nearing completion

Moscow, February 9 – Russian Ambassador to Iran Alexei Didov said in an interview with the News Agency that the negotiations on the establishment of a free trade area (FTA) between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran are in their final stage, and most of the issues have been agreed upon.

He noted that during the visit of EEC Trade Minister Andrei Slepnev to Tehran on January 18-19, the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran agreed on most issues to complete negotiations on a free trade agreement.

The ambassador said, “The issue of mutual access to the market for certain categories of agricultural products, which is currently being discussed between the two parties, is still unresolved,” stressing that negotiations on a free trade agreement are in their final stage.

He indicated that after the end of the negotiation process, the agreement is subject to the approval of the governments of the EAEU countries and the Supreme Economic Council of the Eurasian region.

“Despite the fact that these measures are very labor intensive, given the importance of cooperation with Iran, one can expect that the parties will be interested in implementing them as quickly as possible,” Didov added.

The diplomat also noted that thanks to the interim agreement that led to the formation of a free trade zone between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union, Tehran has significantly increased its supplies of agricultural products to the union countries.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an international integration economic union operating since January 1, 2015. The members of the union are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Moldova has been an observer in the EAEU since May 2018. In 2020, at a meeting of leaders of EAEU countries, it was decided to grant observer status in the Integration Union to Cuba and Uzbekistan.