Iran, Russia seeking $2.5bn trade balance in 2015

Tehran and Moscow plan to considerably boost their trade exchanges in the current year, a senior trade official announced.
"The trade turnover between Russia and Iran can reach $2.5bln in 2015," Head of Russia-Iran Trade Council Rajab Safarov said on Thursday.
He reiterated that the total trade balance between Russia and Iran hit $963mln in 2014.
In relevant remarks in December, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Mehdi Sanayee announced that the two countries are serious about implementing an economic memorandum of understanding (MoU) which has been recently signed at the joint economic commission which amounts to $70 billion.
He noted that Iran and Russia signed a major economic, trade and energy agreement in August 2014 which can pave the way for multiplying the two countries' trade exchanges.
Over the last several years, Iran and Russia have had vast cooperation in different fields, specially in political and economic spheres.
The two states also enjoy special positions on the international scene and have long had constant and regular consultations on key regional and global issues.
Last month, Sanayee said that Tehran pays special heed to the further broadening of ties with Moscow.
"The Russian Federation has one of top ten economies in the world and we consider expansion of ties with Russia of strategic value," Sanayee said.
He pointed to the strategic Iran-Russia relations, and said, "Both countries’ presidents believe a new era has begun in our bilateral relations and they met four times during past year in addition to several phone conversations."