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Russia in talks on free trade zone with several Islamic countries — deputy premier

Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk announced the task of "lowering trade barriers and simplifying contacts, primarily in the economic sphere"

KAZAN, May 20. /TASS/. Russia is negotiating free trade zone agreements with a number of Islamic countries, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk has said.

"Within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), we have been negotiating the creation of a free trade zone with a number of Islamic states, including Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates. We have already started negotiations with them, and we are about to begin talks with Indonesia," he told the plenary session of the 14th international economic forum Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum on Friday.

"We see our bilateral trade growing, and it may indicate that our countries are becoming closer to each other," Overchuk added. "Our task for today is to reduce trade barriers and simplify contacts, primarily in the economic sphere.".

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