President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholam Hossein Shafei on Tuesday urged the need for further activating a green corridor with Russia which will facilitate customs procedures.
Shafei, who was addressing an Iran-Russia business forum in Espinas Palace Hotel of Tehran, also said that expansion of trade relations between Tehran and Moscow requires more enhanced banking relations and transportation means.
He said that Iran is reaching out to neighbors to realize a sustainable order based on supporting the development of regional countries and establishing mutual economic ties.
Iran and Russia have always had friendly relations over the past years and the two countries are regarded as strategic partners in the region, the Iran Chamber of Commerce president said.
Shafei said that the volume of trade between Iran and Russia grew significantly in 2021.
Noting that the visiting Russian delegation is the biggest Russian delegation to Iran over the past 20 years, he underlined the need for taking further steps to give a boost to bilateral trade and ease visa requirements in this regard.
A preferential trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union opened a new chapter in Iran’s trade relations with this bloc, Shafei said, adding that the two sides are also finalizing a free trade agreement which will lift major hurdles on the way of trade exchanges.
He called for further efforts by both Iran and Russia to facilitate banking relations, ease issuance of banking guarantees, use Ro-Ro ship in bilateral trade and further activate a green corridor to help expedite customs procedures.
A major Russian trade delegation, headed by President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Sergey Katyrin, arrived in Tehran on Monday.
Besides Tehran, the Russian 120-member delegation also has plans to visit other Iranian cities of Rasht, Anzali and Isfahan.
The Russian delegation will be comprised of businesspersons in different areas, including transportation, food, constructional materials, petrochemical and oil products, international arbitration, and so on.
Iran and Russian traded as much as $4.63 billion worth of commodities over the Iranian last calendar year to March 20, according to an April report by Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).
The two countries plan to increase bilateral trade by nearly 10 times to $40 billion.