Tehran, Iran, May 4
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry Mojtaba Khosrotaj said that direct flights between Iran and Russia are going to be launched for tradesmen.
The Iran-Russia Joint Chamber is holding talks with some airline companies so that the chamber could pay for 50 percent of the aviation fares for tradesmen travelling to Russia, he added.
Further commenting on new decisions for boosting trade between Iran and Russia, he said that Iran is willing to sign preferential trade agreements with Moscow.
"But Russians believe in negotiating the case, following which the head of the Trade Development Organization is going to travel to Russia in June," he said, Iran's Fars news agency reported May 4.
Khosrotaj went on to note that monetary agreements between the two countries have also been recently signed with the aim to further facilitate mutual trade.
The Central Bank of Iran's Vice President in Currency Affairs Qolamali Kamyab announced May 3 that Iran had signed monetary agreements with three countries, including Russia.
In August 2014, Moscow banned importing certain items from the western countries in response to economic sanctions imposed on Russia over its alleged role in escalating the Ukrainian crisis.
The ban, targeting meat, fish, poultry and milk products, nuts, fruits and vegetables, is expected to last for a year. Iran, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico have expressed their willingness to boost food exports to Russia.
During an official visit to Tehran by a high-ranking Russian delegation, the country officially requested that Iran increase its agricultural products and foodstuff exports to Moscow in order to meet the country's domestic demands.
But Russia imposes high tariffs for imports which is a impeding seafood exports to the country, Hassan Salehi, head of the Iran's Fisheries Organization (Shilat) said Feb. 17.
Edited by CN
Mehdi Sepahvand is Trend Agency's journalist in Iran, follow him on Twitter: @mehdisepahvand