BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 19. Iran looks forward to further development of constructive cooperation and ties between the two countries in various spheres with Russia, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said during the telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 19, Trend reports.
According to him, both countries are represented in important regional organizations such as Shanghai and BRICS. He said efforts should be made between the two countries to implement the agreements reached in Iran, such as the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line. Thus, conditions will be created for the further development of economic and trade relations between the two countries. During the phone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin also stated that the preliminary text of the agreement on comprehensive cooperation between Iran and Russia will be finalized soon. The Russian president emphasized that the increase in trade turnover between Iran and Russia by 77 percent is one of the positive indications of the growing cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
To note, an agreement was signed on May 17, 2023, between Russia
and Iran on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad line in
the province of Gilan, located in northern Iran. Nine stations will
be built on the 163-kilometer-long Rasht-Astara railway line. The
completion of this railroad will improve the North-South
international corridor, and Iran's railroad network will be
connected to the Caucasus countries, Russia, and Northern European
countries. According to the agreement, the Russian side is to spend
1.6 billion euros on the construction of this railroad. This
railroad is planned to be built and completed within 48 months.
Meanwhile, according to the statistics of Iran's Customs
Administration, during the 11 months of the current Iranian year
(from March 21, 2023, through February 19, 2024), Iran's non-oil
trade with Russia amounted to 5.16 million tons worth about $2.46
billion. Iran's non-oil trade turnover with Russia increased by
24.1 percent in value and 53.5 percent in weight in the first 11
months compared to the same period last year.
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