A senior economic official at the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has said that a text for finalizing a free trade agreement with Iran is ready and is waiting to be signed and approved by parliaments of EAEU member states.
Andrey Slepnev, the Eurasian Economic Commission’s (EEC) minister for trade, made the remarks in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency which was published on Tuesday.
In his remarks, the EAEU official said the Union is ready to raise the value of trade with Iran to $30 billion.
Talks on the EAEU-Iran free trade agreement have been finalized and it seems that its approval will be obtained soon as the union member countries are serious about expanding cooperation with the Islamic Republic, the official noted.
He further expressed hope that EAEU member states would sign the deal by the end of 2023.
As he underlined, a permanent free trade agreement with Iran will create an opportunity for businesses to have access to large markets of the two sides.
Expansion of transportation ties and removal of financial problems are needed to meet the $30-billion target in trade with Iran, he added.
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia are members of the EAEU, while Uzbekistan, Moldova, and Cuba are observer members of the bloc.
