Iran’s industry minister in Moscow for trade talks

Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, Seyed Mohammad Atabak, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday to hold talks with Russian officials and attend the first Joint Committee on implementing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Atabak was welcomed at Sheremetyevo International Airport by Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali.

While the minister will meet with several Russian officials to discuss expanding bilateral economic cooperation, the primary focus of his mission is negotiations with senior EAEU officials at the union’s headquarters in Moscow.

The FTA between Iran and the five EAEU member states — Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan — officially took effect earlier this year, eliminating customs tariffs on 87% of traded goods. Iran has also held observer status in the union since 2024, allowing it to participate in high-level meetings.

According to the EAEU Commission, Atabak is scheduled to meet with the union’s trade minister, Andrey Slepnev, to discuss practical measures for removing trade barriers. Talks will also cover lifting Iranian import restrictions on certain EAEU goods, expanding halal product exchanges, addressing technical obstacles, and advancing trade digitalization.

Development of cooperation within the framework of the North–South Transport Corridor is also on the agenda.

The Eurasian Economic Union, an intergovernmental economic bloc, currently comprises Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. Iran, Uzbekistan, and Cuba hold observer status./mehr