According to NIPNA, Mohsen Paknejad stated today (Thursday, April 24th), during a meeting with Alexander Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, regarding the importance of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission between the two countries: "I must thank the government and people of Russia for their gracious hosting of this commission. The comprehensive strategic agreement between the two countries has now been ratified by both houses of the Russian parliament and is in the process of ratification by the Islamic Consultative Assembly in the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Stating that this treaty marks the beginning of a move towards constructive interactions, he clarified: "This agreement gives the economic cooperation between the two countries added importance. I believe that there is a very broad potential for interaction in various fields between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, of which only a small part has been activated so far."
Oil Minister emphasized the importance of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission meeting in opening new avenues, saying: "This meeting is an opportunity to resolve some challenges and make structural reforms in the process of interactions between the two countries, so that these relations can be elevated to a level that is of interest to both sides."
In conclusion, Paknejad referred to the long history of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation in the energy sector and his chairmanship of the country's Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, stating: "Fortunately, Your Excellency, as the former Minister of Energy of Russia and the experienced chairman of this commission, are fully familiar with the processes, and we can undoubtedly benefit from your constructive role in advancing common goals."
Support for Iran's Membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS
Alexander Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, also pointed to the growing trend of economic exchanges between Iran and Russia, mentioning bilateral infrastructure projects in the energy and transportation sectors as important areas of cooperation, and announced Russia's support for Iran's membership in international mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.
He added: "I am very pleased with this meeting and hope that we can have constructive discussions about bilateral economic and trade projects during it. We will also raise issues related to infrastructure projects such as energy and transportation, which are under the special attention of the presidents of the two countries."
Referring to the positive trend of trade exchanges, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister stated: "The indicators of commodity exchange between the two countries have shown very good growth, so that in 2024, the volume of trade between Iran and Russia increased by approximately 13 percent. This indicates the high potential for trade between the two countries, and we are trying to further strengthen this growth trend."
Novak, referring to the recent visit of the Iranian President to Moscow, stated: "On January 17, 2025, a historic event took place during the visit of Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Russia, which was the signing of the comprehensive strategic agreement between the two countries, which outlines a bright prospect for the development of cooperation."
He also congratulated Iran on joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, saying: "We support all these processes. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the only country that, beyond the framework of common interests, has a high level of presence in international mechanisms, and this is important for us."