Iran and Russia eye joint shipping company

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Jul 2023 00:27
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Despite facing Western sanctions, Iran and Russia have been enjoying robust trade relations, marked by growing cooperation and increased economic ties.

Iranian and Russian flags flutter at the Kremlin in Moscow (AFP)

Iran and Russia are in discussions about the potential establishment of a joint shipping company, as part of their efforts to enhance strategic cooperation.

The Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, mentioned the proposal during an interview, highlighting the need to strengthen their shipping fleets and reinforce ports. He stated that Russian officials, including First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov, have shown support for the idea.

The two countries are already collaborating on various fronts, such as trade facilitation, the completion of transit routes like the North-South Transit Corridor, and linking their banking systems for smoother financial transactions.

Despite facing Western sanctions, Iran and Russia have doubled their trade volume in 2022, and Russia has become Iran's largest foreign investor, with investments of $2.76 billion. Both nations also aim to reduce the use of the US dollar in regional and international transactions, in order to diminish the dominance of Western powers over the global economy.

In June, the President of Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TPPRF), Sergey Katyrin, announced that trade between Iran and Russia reached around $4.9 billion last year, recording a 20% increase from 2021, as cited in a report by Iran’s IRIB News.

In the same context, Jalali has recently said that the bilateral relations between his country and Moscow have been reaching new levels in light of both countries having a similar and sometimes unanimous approach toward regional and international issues.