Tehran, Iran, April 25
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Mehdi Sanayi, and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak held a meeting in Moscow on April 25.
During the meeting the two sides discussed possible ways to boost the two country's trade and economic relations, Iran's IRNA News Agency reported on April 25.
"If the two countries manage to boost their energy relations, then cooperation in other sectors will also be facilitated," Sanayi said.
Russian ambassador also stressed on his country's willingness to expand energy and economy relations with Iran.
He further called for implementation of agreements already signed between the two countries on the expansion of relations.
Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov earlier this month expressed his country's determination to boost economic cooperation with Tehran.
He said Moscow will spare no effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields, particularly in economic and commercial sectors.
The Iranian envoy, for his part, stressed the importance of consultation between Tehran and Moscow in promoting bilateral cooperation.
Iran-Russia trade currently totals $5 billion a year, but economists say the two countries can at minimum quadruple the volume of their trade exchanges.
Earlier this month, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the Islamic Republic is determined to raise the volume of its "economic transactions" with Russia under long-term deals.
The Islamic Republic and Russia are also pursuing a possible energy barter deal, which has provoked an angry reaction from some US senators, who threatened to reinstate the anti-Iran sanctions eased under an interim nuclear deal.