Russia and Iran may start using national currencies in bilateral food trade next year, as follows from a news release of the Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, Russian news agency TASS reported Dec. 22.
"The two sides noted their mutual interest in maintaining stable bilateral trading relations and the effective control of quality and safety of goods irrespective of an increase in trading transactions and emphasized the need for maintaining an acceptable level of prices," Rosselkhoznadzor said after a meeting of Russia's negotiators with Iran's First Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Sinaki.
Rosselkhoznadzor spokesman Alexey Alekseyenko told TASS on December 21 Russia and Iran had agreed on the supplies of foodstuffs and on settlements either in national currencies or in kind, provided either side is interested in the supplies of such products.
"We are well aware of the fact that the dollar's rate against the ruble is groundlessly overstated and by no means reflects the ruble's real purchasing power, so for that reason we should make transition to other principles of maintaining economic ties."
"We have been able to see for ourselves that the products the Iranians have offered, for instance, dairy products, are of very high quality," Alekseyenko said. "Iran plans to export to Russia 20,000 tons of trout and no less than 3,000 tons of shrimps and seafood," he added.
By now Rosselkhoznadzor specialists have issued export permissions to 20 Iranian provider firms.