Armenia has communicated Iran’s interest to create a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) – an economic alliance that unites Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – to the Union’s heads of states in a key summit in Russia.
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan told the EEU summit in Russia’s St Petersburg that he was carrying a message of interest to create the free trade zone with the Union from his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
"The president of Iran has shown interest in signing a temporary deal with the EEU, leading to the creation of a free trade zone,” Sargsyan was quoted by Sputnik news agency as saying.
“Armenia is actively assisting the negotiations between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union, aiming to sign the agreement fast," he told the summit that was attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
Armenia’s president further emphasized that his country, as the only EEU member state that has a land border with Iran, was focusing on the development of joint transport and logistics projects with Iran.
Those projects, he added, included the creation of a transit route from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, which would "create the platform for a safe and convenient access to the Persian Gulf and on to the Indian Ocean for our EEU partners."
The EEU was initiated by Russia in 2015 and is meant to simplify and modernize trade of goods and services between its member states.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in August that he wanted to see Iran join the Union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in August that he wanted to see Iran join the Union.
Putin emphasized that he supported the creation of a free trade zone between Iran and the Union, adding that a research over this had already started.
“Iran is Russia’s longtime partner. We believe that bilateral relations will benefit from the reduction of tensions around Iran following the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program,” Putin emphasized in his remarks, as quoted by media.
