TEHRAN - Qeshm and Krasnodar have been announced as sister cities, taking a step towards strengthening cultural ties between Iran and Russia.

The agreement was signed on Monday evening during a ceremony hosted by Krasnodar, with the mayors of both cities—Mirdad Mirdadi of Qeshm and Yevgeny Naumov of Krasnodar, putting pen to paper.

Based on the memorandum signed in the presence of regional officials, the head of Krasnodar’s city council, and an advisor from the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, the two cities will collaborate in the areas of construction, education, and cultural exchange.

Speaking at the event, the mayor of Qeshm emphasized the development of cooperation, referring to close relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, IRNA reported.

He further referred to the geographical location of Qeshm as well as being the largest island in the Persian Gulf, Mirdadi noted its potential to play a role in the North-South corridor that connects Russia to open waters through Iran.

Mirdadi reminded the attendees of the daily maritime trade between Qeshm and the southern Persian Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, and expressed the island’s readiness to facilitate the transfer and loading of goods to Russia along the North-South international corridor.

Qeshm hosts more than three million domestic and foreign tourists every year, Mirdadi said while highlighting Island’s tourist and natural attractions.

Krasnodar’s Mayor Naumov also expressed optimism about the broad areas of cooperation available with Qeshm. He noted that Qeshm is not only a free trade zone but also a major tourist hub, which presents opportunities to strengthen ties in tourism and construction sectors.

Naumov also emphasized the potential for collaboration in enhancing contacts between higher education institutions, continuous student exchanges, and participation in joint commercial and cultural projects.

The sisterhood agreement follows an earlier discussion in April 2024, where the mayors of Qeshm and Krasnodar explored the prospects for bilateral cooperation via video conference.

As mentioned by IRNA, Iran’s Qeshm Free Zone Organization and Dubna Special Economic Zone (SEZ Dubna) of the Russian Federation recently signed a memorandum of understanding attracting mutual investment and enhancing infrastructure development.

 AM