Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and Alireza Peyman-Pak, Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade and Head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, signed an agreement to establish the council.

Alexander Shokhin noted that the Russian Industrialist Forum-Exhibition, co-organized by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs since this year, creates new opportunities for communication and contacts. Accordint to him, interregional cooperation can also bring results.

“The Council is being created in fulfillment of the agreements reached in the framework of the meeting of the President of Iran with representatives of big Russian business in early 2022 in Moscow. Just three weeks ago, a meeting of the permanent commission on Iranian-Russian cooperation was held in Grozny. The participants stressed the need to create a business cooperation council. In 2022, we are witnessing a dynamic development of Iranian-Russian trade and economic relations. Creating a Business Cooperation Council will help transform our meetings into a mode of interaction between partners,” Shokhin emphasized.

According to him, it is important for Russia not just to develop trade relations, but also to establish industrial ties, promote cooperation, create value chains, transport and logistics chains and transport corridors.

Alireza Peyman-Pak emphasized that the best representatives of industry and trade from Iran’s Isfahan province came to the council meeting. He stressed that in 2022, the trade turnover between Russia and Iran increased by 30 %. In recent years, the turnover was primarily related to agricultural products, but today there is a need for cooperation in areas such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, construction, production of medical equipment, automotive parts, pumps, turbines, oil and gas equipment, catalysts and polymers.

“Our responsibility is to promote technical, industrial potential, to establish connections with large companies in Russia. Working with RUIE is a guarantee of assistance and support for our Iranian colleagues,” said Peyman-Pak.

According to the speaker, Iranian and Russian companies have already agreed to cooperate in the construction, design and production of turbines, rolling stock, shipbuilding, aircraft building, tractors and equipment for agriculture. Iran is interested in creating a free economic zone within the EAEU. There are plans to create a joint committee between Russia and Iran within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Evgeny Grigoriev, chairman of the St. Petersburg Committee on Foreign Relations, emphasized that the Northern Capital and Iran have special historical relations. St. Petersburg companies are already involved in the promotion and construction of the new north-south transport corridor.

“I believe we are going to develop a roadmap for interaction with Isfahan province. Thanks to our Iranian friends,” he added.

Isfahan Governor Reza Mortazavi noted that agreements and understandings on Russian-Iranian cooperation were reached at the level of the presidents of both countries. According to him, in order for the agreements to become practical, it is necessary to cooperate at the interregional level.

“Isfahan province is one of the leading provinces in Iran, and we will give the work our full support. We will translate all our agreements in science, technology, landscaping, industry, and tourism into practical terms. And we will be able to host the delegation from St. Petersburg,” he said.

The meeting of the Russia-Iran Council was attended by entrepreneurs from both countries. Pavel Isayev, Executive Secretary of the RUIE Committee on Integration, Trade and Customs Policy and WTO, Deputy General Director of Severstal PJSC, and Masoud Golshirazi, Head of the Isfahan Chamber of Commerce, made welcoming remarks.