TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) – The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) minister for trade, Veronika Nikishina, said the EAEU member countries are ready to continue talks with Iran to develop trade and economic cooperation.

She made the remark during the signing ceremony of a trilateral memorandum of understanding on wheat trade between Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran.

The signing ceremony took place on February 12 in Moscow, and was attended by Russian, Kazakh and Iranian deputy ministries of agriculture, as well as a member of the board (minister) for trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), Veronika Nikishina.

The EEC minister for trade said the memorandum could become a first step toward the revival of full-fledged supply chains of high-quality wheat to both regional and Iranian markets.

“We need to consider this event in the context of preparations for the entry into force of the interim agreement signed in May 2018. The agreement has already been ratified by the Republic of Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation. We are convinced of the promise of cooperation with Iranian partners and are ready to continue the dialogue in various areas of trade and economic cooperation, and therefore we look forward to the completion of the procedures for ratification of the agreement by both the EAEU member countries and Iran,” Nikishina was quoted by The Qazaq Times as saying.

In a statement released by the EEC after the signing ceremony, it was noted that “the agreement on the signing of the memorandum became one of the results of negotiations on an interim agreement leading to the formation of a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran.”

MS/IRN83207671