Iran Press/Europe: According to an Iran Press report, Mehdi Sanaie and Alexander Pankin discussed Tehran-Moscow economic cooperation at bilateral and regional levels.
Based on Russian Customs statistics, Iran-Russia trade volume showed 28.3 percent growth in the first half of 2018, standing at $945.181 million.
In the first half of 2018, Iran reserved the rank of 47 in the list of countries with which Russia had a trade which cannot be regarded an adequate position given an extensive level of cooperation between the two countries internationally and in the fields of security and politics.
Sanaie has over the past five years made lots of efforts to improve bilateral economic relations to remedy the backdown.
The ball is now in the courtyard of the two countries' private sector and businesspersons to use opportunities available and help their officials to have the best advantage of the efforts.
Earlier on December 15, 2018, in an exclusive interview with IRNA, Ramazan Abdulatipov said: "Iran is one of Moscow's historical partners in the region. Russia always defends the interests of Iran as its strategic partner, in the international arena."
Russia is determined to broaden its financial cooperation with Tehran despite US sanctions imposed on Iran.
Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with Bloomberg on October 4 that Russia continues to implement its oil deal with Iran, regardless of US sanctions.
In an interview with French daily Le Figaro on November 20, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Russia as a very good political and trade partner for Iran. 103
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