First Russian Deputy Prime Minister to visit Iran for talks on a free trade area between EEU and Iran

ArmInfo. On February 21,  First Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov to visit Iran to  negotiate on FTA of the state with EEU, said the First Deputy Prime  Minister's representative in an interview to RIA Novosti.

"The First Deputy Prime Minister will visit Tehran on February 21,  2017. It is planned that Shuvalov will have work meetings with the  Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran  Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh and with the Minister ofCommunications and  Information Technology in the Islamic Republic of Iran Doctor Mahmoud  Vaezi", said the representative. "The main subject of the meetings  will be the negotiations on temporary agreement in the framework of  free trade area forming between Iran and EEU", Shuvalov's  representative added.  

To recall, EEU member states are Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia  and Kyrgyzstan. 

Earlier, in an interview to RIA Novosti the Armenian Foreign Minister  Eduard Nalbandian informed that Armenia actively supports the  possibility of FTA ceation between EEU and Iran. He also noted the  wide prospects of involvement of the Iranian business into Armenian  market. According to Minister, Tehran and Yerevan continue the work  directed on business environment improvement and investment  opportunities for the states. "An important milestone in this process  was the visa regime cancellation between our states which will also  help the mutual trade and economic connections deepening", he added.  

To recall, the Iranian Government approved the agreement on mutual  usage of "Meghri(Armenia)- Norduz(Iran) customs gate", signed by both  sides. The agreement was signed on December 21, 2016 in the framework  of Iranian President Hasan Rouhani's official visit to Armenia. In  December 2016, during a EEU summit, the presidents of Russia,  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia approved the necessity of  negotiations launch on FTA creation with Iran, Egypt, India and  Singapore. During the summit the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan  stated that the Iranian President Hasan Rouhani expressed interest in  signing a temporary agreement with EEU on FTA.    

The subject of FTA between Iran and EEU was discussed during  Russian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission meeting on Economic  Cooperation in 11-13 December 2016. The chairman from the Iranian  side Mahmoud Vaezi then told the journalists that Iran hopes to sign  the corresponding agreement in 2017.  Earlier it was informed that  the agreement on FTA with Iran will be carried in several phases.  That means that the free regime will be valid for certain products.  The final list of these products is not yet approved.  The first step  in creating a free trade area with Iran may include products of light  industry and agriculture.  However, it was noted that the  establishment of an FTA with Iran complicates the fact that the  country is not a member of the World Trade Organization.