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Iranian information minister to make first visit to Russia's Astrakhan

Trade between the region and Iran totaled $ 74.2 million in the first six months of 2016

ASTRAKHAN, July 26. /TASS/. Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Mahmoud Vaezi is expected to make the first-ever visit to the southern Russian city of Astrakhan located close to the mouth of the Volga River, the regional governor’s press service told TASS.

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"The Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Mahmoud Vaezi, who will visit Astrakhan for the first time will take part in the forum titled ‘Russia and Iran: Cooperation in Trade and Investment’, together with a group of about fifty Iranian state officials and business people," a spokesman for the press service said.

He added that representatives of the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, the republic of Kalmykia, and the Stravropol territory will take part in the forum on the Russian side.

The programme of the forum includes simultaneous specialized sessions in various spheres of commerce and business. One of the aspects of the discussion is the specific features of the Russian market, the niches that Iranian companies can occupy on it, the ways of registration of Iranian companies, and the reduction of customs formalities.

Business people from the two countries will have meetings and discussions throughout the whole day in a hotel in the downtown.

Mahmoud Vaezi, who is also a co-chairman for the Russian-Iranian trade and economic commission will visit the Astrakhan port and will be examine a building chosen for the Iranian Trade House.

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On Wednesday morning, he will take a flight to Moscow for a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Minister of Telecommunications and Mass Communications Nikolai Nikiforov, and the Trade Minister of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Veronika Nikishina.

The Astrakhan region and Iran established friendly regional ties in 1994. More than 160 Iranian companies and an affiliation of an Iranian bank are operating in the region at present.

The governor’s press serviced said trade between the region and Iran totaled $ 74.2 million in the first six months of this year versus $ 100.6 million in the same period a year ago.

Exports to Iran mostly consist of cereals, timber, and overland transport vehicles, while fruit, nuts, portland cement, and tea make up the bulk of imports from Iran.

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Economy Trade & Cooperation

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan