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Putin, Rouhani to discuss trade, economic cooperation in Sochi, says Russian envoy to Iran

The ambassador said that Moscow and Tehran have given up the dollar in settlement payments and plan to shift to national currencies

Russian President Vladimir Putina and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Russian President Vladimir Putina and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

© Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani will hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Astana trio’s summit on Syria to discuss trade and economic cooperation, Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan said in an interview with TASS.

"The Astana trio’s summit will take place in Sochi on February 14. A meeting between our countries’ presidents is planned to be arranged on the sidelines of the summit and we expect that trade and economic cooperation will be discussed among other issues," the ambassador said.

Dzhagaryan said that Moscow and Tehran have given up the dollar in settlement payments and plan to shift to national currencies to the full, with euro to be used if absolutely necessary.

"Fundamentally, we have already given up the dollar in cooperation with Iran, let us rely on the Russian ruble and the Iranian rial, and on the euro if absolutely necessary, if there are no other options," he noted.

Astana format

The first meeting of the Astana trio (Russia, Iran and Turkey) was held in Sochi on November 22, 2017. The second summit took place in the Turkish capital of Ankara on April 4, 2018. The three leaders adopted a joint statement following the meeting, expressing determination to continue their cooperation. The third Russian-Turkish-Iranian summit on resolving the Syria issue was held in Tehran on September 7, 2018.

According to earlier reports, the three leaders will discuss the situation in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone and US plans to withdraw troops from Syria at the Sochi meeting.

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Vladimir Putin Syria Iran Turkey Hassan Rouhani

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