TEHRAN - Iran's former OPEC Governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi has said strengthening energy cooperation between Iran and Russia is going to bring the two countries even closer in international forums like OPEC+, Shana reported.

Mohammad-Ali Khatibi said that Iran and Russia pursue common policies in international energy forums such as OPEC+ and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), adding that increasing bilateral cooperation between the two countries could lead to closer positions of both countries in these important arenas.

Pointing out that the establishment of a joint risk management hedge fund between Iran and Russia can ensure Iranian and Russian companies to cooperate with each other, Khatibi said: "The presence of Russian public and private companies in the Iranian oil industry and vice versa can be fruitful."

Emphasizing that the presidents of Iran and Russia have repeatedly stressed the need for boosting the volume of trade between the two countries, he said: “According to the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the level of cooperation between the two countries should reach $10 billion annually, which requires more support and follow-up by governments.”

“The problems and obstacles in the way of developing trade relations between the two countries should be examined and resolved as soon as possible,” Khatibi stressed.

He mentioned the unawareness of Iranian manufacturers and companies about the political, commercial, legal, and economic structure of Russia as one of the challenges facing Iran-Russia trade development and said: “In recent years, the shares of large Russian companies active in the oil industry have been bought by Western multinational companies and Iranian companies should consider such cases in their cooperation with the mentioned companies.”

“Our cooperation with Russia and China in the oil industry can become a model for other countries such as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the independent countries of South America to cooperate with Iran,” he added.

EF/MA